World Bank head urges countries to sign vaccine contracts now

FILE PHOTO: IMF and World Bank hold Fall Meetings in Washington

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - World Bank President David Malpass on Friday urged countries to enter contracts for COVID-19 vaccines now so they could get delivery schedules, saying it was vital to get started in more countries and work through more channels.

In remarks to Group of 20 finance officials, Malpass also hammered his push for greater transparency in the contracts signed by buyers, manufacturers and intermediaries to accelerate global vaccination efforts critical to contain the pandemic.

Malpass also underscored the importance of the G20's climate agenda, noting that the World Bank was launching new country climate and development reviews to integrate climate into all its country diagnostics and strategies.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal)