Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has promised a $1 million reward to the country’s scientists if they manage to develop a coronavirus vaccine.
Spokeswoman to the President Yuliya Mendel in a statement Monday that the aim being to develop a vaccine that would “save hundreds of thousands of lives.”
The ex-Soviet country with a population of around 42 million has confirmed 3,102 cases of COVID-19 and 93 people have died.
President Zelensky said “really wants Ukrainian scientists to work more actively towards developing medicines that will help the whole world,” Mendel said.
The statement adds that Zelensky’s request to develop a vaccine against COVID-19 was sent to the Ukraine’s Academy of Sciences last month.
On Monday the World Health Organization highlighted the importance of developing a COVID-19 vaccine to fully halt transmission of the disease.