Boris Johnson will ask world leaders to commit £6.6bn towards finding coronavirus vaccine

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The PM will urge them to match the £388million the UK has already poured into research on ­vaccines, testing and treatment.

Boris Johnson will ask world leaders to commit £6.6bn towards beating coronavirus at a ‘pledging conference’

Mr Johnson will say: “The more we pull together and share our expertise, the faster our scientists will succeed.

“The race to discover the vaccine to defeat this virus is not a competition between countries but the most urgent shared endeavour of our lifetimes.

“It’s humanity against the virus.

“We are in this together and together we will prevail.”

The online conference aims to bring in more than £6.6billion.

Coronavirus has claimed more than 244,000 lives around the world, according to analysis by John Hopkins University.

The Government believes tackling the virus globally is crucial to preventing a second wave reemerging in the UK and it will speed up the creation of vaccines, tests and treatment.

International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: “It is only by working together that we will prevent future waves of infection and end this pandemic as quickly as possible.

“By strengthening developing countries’ health systems and working to find a vaccine, the UK is playing its part in stopping the global spread of coronavirus to save lives everywhere and protect our NHS.”