FAO to co-lead $109m of new pandemic fund projects

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) will co-lead the implementation of 21 new projects worth $109 million under the second round of funding from the Pandemic Fund.

These projects aim to enhance global and local health security, benefiting 32 countries worldwide, with over half of the funds allocated to sub-Saharan Africa.

Countries such as Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda will receive fast-tracked FAO support, utilising the One Health approach, which addresses the interdependence of human, animal, and environmental health.

Additional countries, including Chad, Egypt, and South Africa, will also receive significant investments to boost pandemic preparedness.

“Additional countries such as Chad, Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Nicaragua, Pakistan, the Philippines, Samoa, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Tunisia will also see significant investments with FAO support for pandemic preparedness. There will also be multi-country projects in Africa, Eastern Caribbean and in the South-East Asia region.”

Launched in 2022, The Pandemic Fund supports low- and middle-income countries in strengthening surveillance, laboratory capacity, and cross-sector collaboration, with FAO partnering alongside WHO, UNICEF, and other global agencies. The FAO’s portfolio now includes 33 initiatives across 45 countries, with a combined value of $170 million.