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7/1/2022

Statement by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen on World Bank Approval of Pandemic Prevention Fund | U.S. De…

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Statement by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen on World
Bank Approval of Pandemic Prevention Fund
June 30, 2022

WASHINGTON — Today, the World Bank Executive Board approved a new Financial
Intermediary Fund (FIF) for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response. This important
financing vehicle will provide dedicated funding to close gaps in pandemic preparedness that
have been brought into stark relief by our collective experiences during the COVID pandemic.
“The approval of a pandemic prevention fund by the World Bank is a major achievement that
will help low- and middle-income countries be better prepared for the next pandemic. Even as
we continue to work to end COVID-19, todayʼs decision by World Bank shareholders will help
bolster capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to future pandemics,
thereby strengthening health security around the globe, including here in the United States,”
said Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen. “President Biden and Vice President Harris
called for establishing a fund in September 2021 at the Presidentʼs First Global COVID-19
Summit—a call I have reiterated with counterparts around the world. The United States has
pledged $450 million in support of this fund, and I thank the European Commission, Indonesia,
Germany, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, along with private donors, for joining as
founding supporters and pledging a total of more than $1 billion to date. I encourage other
countries to join us in financing this critical fund to prevent the devastating human
and economic costs of future pandemics.”
Closing the global gap in financing for pandemic preparedness has been a top priority during
the Indonesian and Italian G20 Presidencies, and support for the FIF has grown as countries
seek to break the cycle of panic and neglect that has characterized recent
pandemics. Secretary Yellen—in partnership with her counterparts from across the G20—has
advocated for a financing mechanism to address pandemic preparedness shortfalls in
meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, G20 and G7, and with the World
Health Organization (WHO). In a joint op-ed with WHO Director-General
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Indonesian
Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Secretary Yellen reinforced the call for
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7/1/2022

Statement by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen on World Bank Approval of Pandemic Prevention Fund | U.S. De…

a Financial Intermediary Fund to prepare for and prevent future pandemics. In the coming
weeks, the United States will continue working with other donors, the World Bank, the World
Health Organization, and international health partners to make sure the FIF is operational by
fall 2022.

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