The Netherlands Ministry of Health, Sports and Welfare has announced an additional EUR 14 million contribution to Norway-based Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to advance global vaccine R&D and manufacturing and better prepare for future epidemic and pandemic threats. The contribution was formalised at a signing ceremony held by Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport for the Netherlands, Ernst Kuipers (as seen in the right side of the image), and Deputy CEO of CEPI, Frederik Kristensen, at the World Local Production Forum, a WHO event co-hosted by the Netherlands and Indonesia in The Hague. 

The increased investment, which builds on the initial EUR 50 million contribution from the Netherlands to CEPI in 2020, will enable Dutch and international researchers to accelerate their knowledge and scientific innovations gained during the COVID-19 pandemic and give the world a fighting shot of stopping the next pandemic, caused by an unknown or as-yet-unidentified threat known as Disease X, in as little as 100 days.

Spearheaded by CEPI and embraced by the G7, G20 and pharmaceutical companies, the 100 Days Mission seeks to develop new vaccines against future viral threats in a little more than three months, a third of the time it took to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. This is in direct alignment with the Dutch 2023-2030 Global Health Strategy which, through collaboration and innovation, seeks to provide a healthy world for all.