GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) said it would announce a "landmark collaboration" on Friday to speed development, production and the use of safe, effective drugs, tests and vaccines to prevent, diagnose and treat COVID-19.


In a brief statement issued on Thursday the Geneva-based agency said the initiative being announced with partners aims to make technologies against the disease "accessible to everyone who needs them, worldwide", but gave no details.


WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on April 6 that he planned to announce an initiative to accelerate the research, development and production of vaccines and also design mechanisms for equitable distribution.