©EC/ECHO/Jean-Louis Mosser

let’s put pandemics in the past

This September, the UK Government announced its pledge of up to £100 million to CEPI – the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Established in 2017, CEPI has led the international response to the development of new vaccines for emerging infectious diseases, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. The covid vaccine was developed in a record-breaking 300 days, saving millions of lives across the globe. However, modelling by CEPI showed that 8 million lives could have been saved if a vaccine had been developed in 100 days. This is why a core objective of CEPI is its ‘100 Day Mission’ to develop new safe vaccines for the next pandemic in 100 days. CEPI’s work keeps us all safe and protects the NHS – it is vital that the Government’s pledge is fulfilled so that CEPI receives the support it needs.

what

CEPI needs to receive its full £100 million to prepare us for the next pandemic and protect the NHS

who

MPs need to understand how CEPI saves lives so they can show their support

how

Write a letter to your MP asking them to press the Government to fulfil the £100 million pledge

why CEPI needs UK support

CEPI was formed following the disastrous Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Since then, it has supported the development of more than 50 vaccine candidates and has accelerated vaccine research and development. CEPI moved swiftly to invest in vaccine development against COVID-19 – helping to deliver nearly 2 billion doses of the covid vaccine to 146 countries, saving over 2.7 million lives. However, the organisation estimates that had the 100 Day Mission been in place before the COVID-19 pandemic, 8 million lives could have been saved.

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated what happens when the world is unprepared: closed schools, businesses shuttered on the high street, jobs lost, and the NHS pushed to breaking point, all funded by extraordinary levels of public borrowing. Investing in preparedness now, so that a vaccine can be ready in 100 days rather than several years, is significantly cheaper than responding to a pandemic after it has already taken hold, and it reduces the risk of future lockdowns, NHS strain and disruption to local jobs and supply chains. CEPI’s call for US$ 2.5 billion over the next 3 years will be critical in helping the world prepare and build resilience to emerging threats.

The UK Government supports CEPI’s 100DM – championing it as part of its G7 presidency in 2021 – but CEPI needs to be given suitable support to deliver it. This pledge of up to £100 million is already a big reduction from the £160 million pledge at the last replenishment. That’s why we need to hold the government to account and make sure the full £100 million is fulfilled.

the path to achieving the 100 Day Mission

Compressing the standard timeline for vaccine development from 300 days to 100 is no mean feat. Here is what’s needed to achieve this ‘moonshot’ target.

A vaccine library: this would create prototypes for the world’s most dangerous viruses ahead of time.

A global network of laboratories: we need to set up a series of laboratories around the world that are ready to develop and test medicines instantly.

Effective information sharing: countries need to proactively and immediately share data and be willing to work together to tackle new diseases rather than competing.

Fairness baked in:when lifesaving tools (like vaccines) are developed, it is vital they go to the people who need them most, no matter how rich or poor their country is.

the danger of ‘up to’

At the UN General Assembly, when the Government announced its pledge, it used the phrase ‘up to £100 million’. This leaves concerning wiggle room for a pledge that comes in under that figure – which would result in an even bigger reduction to the £160 million pledged from 2021-2026.

It is important that the UK honours its £100 pledge for two reasons: first so that it maintains its reputation as a reliable global partner – particularly as the repercussions of the cuts to the aid budget become more apparent – and secondly because of the importance of CEPI’s work and its 100 Day Mission in preventing the worst effects of the next pandemic.

what you’ve already accomplished on pandemic preparedness

Results campaigners have already helped contribute to the UK playing an important role in global pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. In 2020, the UK Government pledged up to £571 million to COVAX, a worldwide initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Your advocacy was critical to build support around the agreement of the 100 Days Mission by the G7 leaders in 2023. And at the UN High-Level Meetings on Universal Health Coverage, TB and PPR in New York, the UK announced an almost £500 million global health package to boost health security, improve health and wellbeing around the world, and help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Now you can continue your work to protect the world from the next pandemic!

take action now!

By informing your MP about the importance of CEPI you can show them why it is vital that it receives the full £100 million pledge.

Please write to your MP and educate them on the role that CEPI plays in keeping us all and the NHS safe, protecting the economy and out NHS

Ask them to write to the Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband, and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Yvette Cooper, to push for a full £100 million pledge so that we are prepared for the next pandemic.

To find your MP, click here. And don’t forget we have created this toolkit to help you write a great MP letter!

Thank you for taking action!

take action!

WRITE to your MP about the importance of CEPI and pandemic preparedness

HIGHLIGHT that investing in pandemic preparedness keeps us all safe and protects the NHS

ASK them to press the Government to fulfil its £100 million CEPI pledge

I took action!

we’re here to support you!

If you have any questions or need support or advice in writing your letter, please contact Will Sewell, Campaigns Manager, at [email protected]

pioneering Mpox trials: Regine’s story

When Mpox swept through her community in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Regine enrolled in a landmark vaccine trial with her newborn, Sylvain. Pregnant women and infants have historically been excluded from clinical trials, leaving those most vulnerable to severe disease without access to safe, approved vaccines.

CEPI is closing this gap by funding pioneering trials in Kinshasa to generate essential safety data for mothers and babies, alongside strengthening local laboratory infrastructure – ensuring health systems stay resilient and life-saving tools reach those who need them most before the next outbreak strikes.

Read the full story here.

Regine and her son Sylvain.
Credit: CEPI