Ethiopia, Norway and the UK have pledged US$240 million to support CEPI’s five‑year plan to strengthen global readiness for epidemic and pandemic threats. Ethiopia will continue its financial support, Norway has committed US$106 million and the UK up to US$134 million. The pledges were announced at CEPI’s UNGA 81 side event and will fund CEPI 3.0, aimed at reducing the likelihood, impact and cost of future outbreaks.
The commitments come ahead of the UN High‑Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, where world leaders will discuss a political declaration to improve global protection against health emergencies.
Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI, said: “We now have the science to develop a vaccine against a new viral threat in a fraction of the time it once took, but being able to do so requires steady investment and shared responsibility to keep that capability ready and waiting. By backing CEPI 3.0, Ethiopia, Norway and the UK are showing the kind of foresight and leadership that global health security depends on.”
He added: “Their investments will strengthen the world’s disease defences, helping us respond rapidly and equitably to emerging viral threats.”
Ethiopia’s Minister of Health Dr Mekdes Daba explained: “Health security is a shared responsibility that no single nation can secure alone, and this is especially true for Africa. The ongoing Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a stark reminder that an outbreak anywhere on the continent, or anywhere in the world, is a threat everywhere.”
She added: “Ethiopia’s support for CEPI 3.0 will help accelerate the development of vaccines against both known threats and those we cannot yet name.”
Norway’s Minister of International Development Åsmund Aukrust said: “For Norway, supporting CEPI is about more than vaccines. It is about building a safer world through stronger preparedness, scientific collaboration, and equitable access to life‑saving health technologies.”
UK Health and Social Care Minister Baroness Merron commented: “Investing in vaccine research today helps protect the public tomorrow. By providing up to £100 million in backing for CEPI, we will help develop the next generation of vaccines against some of the world’s most dangerous infectious diseases.”
UK Foreign Office Minister Chris Elmore added: “Disease threats do not respect borders. Investing in prevention, preparedness and response is both a global responsibility and in the UK’s national interest.”
