The global COVID-19 death toll has surpassed the quarter million mark as countries continue the fight against the pandemic.

Fatalities attributed to the pandemic exceeded 250,000 on Monday evening, according to data from the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

The U.S remains the world's most affected country by the pandemic, having registered 1,161,346 infections and 67,781 deaths.

The figures represent nearly 32.8 percent of the global cases and 27.3 percent of the world's fatalities.

Five countries have registered more than 20,000 deaths each. These countries are the U.S., Spain, Italy, U.K. and France.

The five countries account for 55.1 percent of the global COVID-19 infections and 70.7 percent of the total fatalities worldwide.

As the figures continue to rise, the fight against the disease has intensified worldwide. Countries are conducting more tests in a bid to rout out the disease from the public space.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for a unified approach in the fight against COVID-19.

"At this critical juncture of the COVID-19 pandemic, all countries and stakeholders, including those from the private sector, must work together to ensure that no one is left behind,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom on Monday.

Adhanom noted that the world needs to leave no state behind in the COVID-19 battle so as to ensure there is no weak link in the fight.

"The ultimate measure of success will not be how fast we can develop tools – it will be how equally we can distribute them. None of us can accept a world in which some people are protected while others remain exposed," said the WHO chief.

On Monday, the European Commission hosted a pledging conference – without the United States – aimed at raising funds for research into a possible vaccine and treatments for COVID-19.