OSLO (ChatnewsTV) — Norway announced a NOK 240 million ($22 million) investment to bolster the Pandemic Fund, a global initiative aimed at strengthening pandemic preparedness worldwide. The funding, allocated for 2025-2027, will aid global, regional, and national efforts to detect, prevent, and respond to new pandemics and severe cross-border disease outbreaks.
“The international community needs to invest now to ensure a safer future for all of us,” said Anne Beathe Kristiansen Tvinnereim, Norway’s Minister of Development. “The lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, Mpox, and Ebola are that we need to act quickly and coordinate. Norway helped establish the Pandemic Fund in 2022, and by increasing our support by NOK 240 million, we’re investing in lives saved and reduced economic impact.”
The Pandemic Fund prioritizes strengthening health systems in low- and middle-income countries, aiming to build their capacity to manage outbreaks before they escalate. Earlier this month, over 50 countries received support from the fund, including five countries currently managing Mpox cases. Approximately half of the recipients are in sub-Saharan Africa, underscoring the fund’s focus on high-need regions.
Announcing the contribution at the G20 Health Ministerial in Brazil, State Secretary Usman Mushtaq highlighted the need for sustainable international financing to maintain global pandemic readiness. Jan Christian Vestre, Norway’s Minister of Health and Care Services, echoed this sentiment, stating, “Since the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve made progress in readiness and response, but predictable funding is crucial to preventing and managing future crises.”
Norway’s commitment builds on its leadership with South Africa as co-chairs of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, a global collaboration for equitable access to vaccines, tests, and treatments. Norway also participates in ongoing WHO negotiations for a pandemic agreement that aims to ensure equitable access to essential medical resources in future health crises.
