Madonna joins forces with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help create COVID-19 vaccine

In order to help create a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, pop diva Madonna has pledged to support the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The 61-year-old singer released a statement on her official website on Friday, saying she was "impressed" by the foundation, owned by the business magnate-philanthropist, which is working towards funding seven different research labs to find a cure for COVID-19.

"I'm joining the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation effort to find a drug that will prevent or treat COVID-19. We need this to protect our health workers, the most vulnerable, and all of our friends and families.

"I'm talking about this: I am so impressed by the work of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator's urgent efforts to find new or existing drugs that could effectively prevent or treat the disease," Madonna said. 

"Harnessing the strength and knowledge of the research community, the Accelerator's critical scientific progress will inform how we end this pandemic and prevent future impact from the virus. I send enormous gratitude and strength to the courageous first responders, medical professionals and scientists who are protecting our communities, those suffering and our most vulnerable," she further said in the statement.

The announcement comes a fortnight after Madonna called the coronavirus a "great equaliser".

The music icon had said the virus doesn't discriminate between rich and poor.

"That's the thing about COVID-19. It doesn't care about how rich you are, how famous you are, how funny you are, how smart you are, where you live, how old you are, what amazing stories you can tell," she said.

The singer had to cancel two of her concerts in Paris due to the ongoing pandemic.

Image credit: AP