The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and London-based Wellcome have pledged an additional $150 million each to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to help end the COVID-19 pandemic and prevent future pandemics.

Co-founded in 2017 by Wellcome and the Gates Foundation with commitments of $100 million each, CEPI works with vaccine developers, manufacturers, governments, philanthropies, civil society, and global health organizations to find solutions to diseases. The latest funding will support CEPI’s efforts to improve existing vaccines and increase vaccine accessibility, with a focus on the needs of low- and middle-income countries, and to reduce the risks of future pandemics and epidemics through research and development at scale. CEPI aims to develop vaccines against any new, unknown disease within a hundred days of the pathogen being sequenced.

“Imagine how different the last two years would’ve been if everyone in the world had had access to safe, effective COVID vaccines within six months,” Bill Gates wrote in a blog post. “I know it’s hard to think about the next pandemic as the omicron variant surges around the world, but we have an opportunity to make sure the world never experiences this hardship again. Investing in organizations like CEPI is an important step that moves us closer to a world without pandemics.”

“Our new commitment of $150 million recognizes the enormous potential CEPI has to protect lives against emerging infectious diseases,” said Wellcome director Jeremy Farrar. “The effects of COVID-19 have been sobering. We urge leaders to provide their support and ensure CEPI reaches their funding target. It is in the world’s collective interest if we are to avoid repeating mistakes and help future generations to prevent epidemics.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Mongkolchon Akesin)