Canada’s increased contributions to the ACT-Accelerator

May 7, 2021

A global outbreak requires a global response. Canada has made significant investments to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics are affordable and equitably distributed globally.

Canada is strongly committed to the work of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator. Canada has invested $940 million since joining the ACT-Accelerator on May 4, 2020, and today, the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, announced an additional commitment of $375 million, bringing Canada’s total contribution to more than $1.3 billion.

The ACT-Accelerator fosters global collaboration to encourage the development, production, and equitable distribution of affordable COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics worldwide. It brings together governments, scientists, businesses, civil society, and philanthropists and global health organizations. 

The first international deliveries of vaccines to low- and middle-income economies through the COVAX Facility happened within 12 weeks of their introduction in high-income countries. As of May 4, 2021, over 53 million doses have been shipped to 121 participating countries. To date, ACT-Accelerator partners have established a portfolio of 12 vaccine candidates and is on track to deliver at least 2.5 billion doses of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine worldwide by the end of the year.

The ACT-Accelerator has also:

• Reserved 120 million rapid antigen tests for low- and middle-income countries, and procured over 32 million molecular tests and 32 million rapid antigen tests for low- and middle-income countries.
• Provided training for over 23,000 health workers in almost 200 countries.
• Procured 2.9 million doses of dexamethasone – the only WHO-approved treatment for COVID-19, supported 15 clinical trials, investigated 21 therapies in 47 countries, with 85,000 patients enrolled.
• Procured more than US$500 million worth of PPE and developed global guidelines and training across multiple critical health system areas.