Second, $1 billion per year should be mobilized for research and development on infectious diseases, to be deployed under the guidance of the product development committee. The funds would come from several sources, including contributions from governments and foundations, research-and-development budgets devoted to national security, private-sector investments, and potentially new sources of private funding outside the health sector.
Third, agreements should be secured on expediting approval, manufacturing, and distribution, including harmonization of clinical protocols, streamlining of regulatory approvals, and better mechanisms for community engagement.
We recognize that securing an additional $1 billion per year will be enormously challenging, given other demands on government, philanthropic, and academic budgets and the difficulties of making a commercial case. Yet viewed from the perspective of the global community, the case for such incremental investment is compelling, considering the scale of the risks to human lives and livelihoods.