Some $302m has been raised by Global Citizen’s Vax Live fundraising concert in the US, which was advocating the importance of vaccine equity globally.
Global Citizen said the funds raised helped procure more than 26 million doses at the Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World, which was globally broadcast and streamed this past weekend.
It also said the money was collected through several philanthropic and corporate commitments.
The event, which was one of the largest concert gatherings in Southern California since the coronavirus pandemic began, saw more than 20,000 fully vaccinated health workers and first responders come together for the live taping on May 2 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
The event aired in more than 100 countries and streamed globally on YouTube, featuring performances from Jennifer Lopez, Eddie Vedder and Foo Fighters.
By May 2, Global Citizen had already mobilised $53.8m in commitments, surpassing the campaign goal of securing 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses and to support the efforts of the World Health Organisation (WHO) COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund to procure essential personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers on the front lines of the pandemic.
In the lead-up to the event, Global Citizen and its partners led a coordinated drive across the private sector to mobilise funding for the vaccine-sharing program COVAX, a global initiative co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, WHO, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness (CEPI) to ensure equitable vaccine access for low- and middle-income countries.
Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World received messages of support and commitments from prominent global figures including Pope Francis, US President Joe Biden and French leader Emmanuel Macron.
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