The effort to prevent and stem epidemics got a shot in the arm on Thursday in Davos, Switzerland, with the launch of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.
The coalition, which launched with an initial pool of investment of $460 million, will finance vaccine development as well as research into innovative platforms that could help bring epidemics under control. Members include the governments of Germany, Japan and Norway, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust.
CEPI aims to respond to some of the key challenges exposed by the West Africa Ebola epidemic and improve global health security. It adds to a growing number of initiatives looking at the importance of building responsive health systems. With its launch and call for proposals, it opens up new financing to scientists and vaccine developers focused on often neglected diseases.