The United States will not take part in the launching of a global initiative on Friday to speed the development, production and distribution of drugs and vaccines against COVID-19, a spokesman for the US mission in Geneva says.
“There will be no US official participation”, he said in an email reply to a query, reports Reuters.
“We look forward to learning more about this initiative in support of international cooperation to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 as soon as possible,” the spokesman added.
US President Donald Trump has announced a suspension of funding to the World Health Organization (WHO), where it is the largest donor.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will help launch the global initiative on Friday, the UN agency said ahead of the 1300 GMT event.
