The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has called on Covid jab manufacturers to prioritise contracts with the UN-led equitable vaccines initiative, COVAX, saying "it’s not a matter of charity, it’s a matter of epidemiology”.

The UN health agency chief has said that scientists have been working to understand new COVID-19 variants that have been reported in South Africa and the United Kingdom.

The Chinese government has decided to donate 20 million U.S. dollars to the World Health Organization (WHO) to support it in carrying out international cooperation in fighting the outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).