Zeng Yixin, vice-minister of China's National Health Commission, attends the first meeting of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator Facilitation Council on Sept 10. [Photo/nhc.gov.cn]

Co-hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Commission, the inaugural meeting of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator Facilitation Council was held on Sept 10. Zeng Yixin, vice-minister of China's National Health Commission (NHC), attended and addressed the meeting. 

Zeng said that in upholding the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind China has actively taken part in global anti-pandemic cooperation, shared its own experience in combating COVID-19 and supported countries with weak health systems in fighting the pandemic. 

Meanwhile, China has played an active role in international scientific research cooperation programs to strengthen international collaboration in research and development of vaccines, diagnostic reagents and therapeutic drugs. 

It is believed that the pandemic will eventually be defeated with the joint efforts of the international community, said Zeng.

The participants said that they would further enhance cooperation in research and development of vaccines, drugs, and diagnostic reagents, and called for effective measures to improve their availability and affordability. The meeting adopted the council's scope of work and the council statement.

Speakers at the meeting included United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.