Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to support the creation of an international pooling mechanism for COVID-19 research set up by the World Health Organization.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK has long supported affordable and equitable access to essential medicines, vaccines and other health commodities, here in the UK and globally.
Measures to ensure access to products that may emerge from research include voluntary patent sharing and licensing, whereby patent holders allow others to manufacture, import, and/ or distribute their patented products to accelerate entry of generic medicines to market, pooled procurement and sharing and information exchange.
We are committed to collaborating with public and private partners in the UK and internationally, including exploring voluntary arrangements, such as existing mechanisms, to accelerate development and equitable access in all countries to affordable health technologies for responding to COVID-19. The shape of any agreements are being explored.
DFID is supporting global co-ordinating efforts through our support to the WHO R&D Blueprint. The Blueprint aims to accelerate research and innovation to contain the spread of the pandemic and ensure that those affected receive optimal care. This includes support to the ‘Solidarity’ trials which is testing four existing anti-viral agents or combinations which exist already that could be effective against COVID-19.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Department for International Development attached any public interest conditions to the £250 million granted to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations for the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK is leading international efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine that is equitable and accessible.
Following a virtual summit of G20 leaders on the 26 March, the UK Prime Minister called on governments to work together to develop a vaccine as quickly as possible and make it available to anyone who needs it. As subsequently agreed by the G20, we support a global approach to the rapid development and scaled up manufacture of vaccines that are equitable and accessible. We are working with technical partners and WHO to support an approach to Research & Development, regulation and funding that will deliver that.
Our £250 million funding to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is the biggest donation of any country to date. CEPI is an innovative partnership between public, private, philanthropic, and civil society organisations, to develop vaccines to stop future epidemics. CEPI is leading the international coordination of vaccine research, making sure that the best experts from around the world get the investments they need to make rapid progress on a vaccine for this COVID-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, the UK is also the largest funder to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Gavi will play a key role in working with CEPI to make a new coronavirus vaccine available and affordable.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to concentrate their international response to COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries on those who are 60 years old and above.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We recognise that that older people, people with disabilities, people with pre-existing conditions, and those with complex needs are disproportionately impacted and at more serious risk of severe complications and fatality due to COVID-19. We are working hard to ensure that our help reaches those most in need, including older people, through close collaboration with our partners.
Our funding is supporting a range of initiatives and partners to ensure that it can reach those in need and strengthening fragile health services in the world’s poorest countries where there is a high chance of the disease spreading rapidly.
This includes supporting the United Nation’s Global Humanitarian Response Plan to tackle COVID-19 and help to the most vulnerable across the globe. The plan explicitly identifies older people given their susceptibility to the virus and their broader vulnerability. Our latest UK aid announcement on 12 April of £200 million, is supporting humanitarian organisations to help reduce mass infections in developing countries that often lack the healthcare systems to track and halt the virus. This includes £130 million to UN agencies in response to their COVID-19 humanitarian appeals.
In order to reduce transmission, the UK government is also working with Unilever to fund a £100 million global hygiene programme. This campaign will be tailored to communities to ensure messages are inclusive and effective. It will reach up to a billion people worldwide, raising awareness and changing behaviour, to make sure that people are washing their hands with soap regularly and disinfecting surfaces. The programme will also provide over 20 million hygiene products in the developing world, including in areas where there is little or no sanitation.
In addition, we are redirecting existing support and programmes to be more responsive to COVID-19.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that older people in low- and middle-income countries have access to the information they need to minimise the risk of COVID-19.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We recognise that that older people are disproportionately impacted and at more risk of severe complications and death due to COVID-19. As well as the immediate risk of catching COVID-19, marginalised groups also experience secondary impacts of the virus. This includes reduced access to healthcare services and information, which is further compounded by existing accessibility barriers.
For example, healthcare information is not routinely distributed in accessible formats. Older people with visual impairments will need access to large print documentation, or may need other alternative communication methods that fit best with their needs. We are working hard to ensure that our help reaches those most in need, including older people, through close collaboration with our partners.
Our funding is supporting a range of initiatives and partners to ensure that it can reach those in need and strengthen fragile health services in the world’s poorest countries where there is a high risk of the disease spreading rapidly. This includes supporting the United Nation’s Global Humanitarian Response Plan to tackle COVID-19 and help to the most vulnerable across the globe. The plan explicitly identifies older people given their susceptibility to the virus and their broader vulnerability. Our latest UK aid announcement on 12 April of £200 million, is supporting humanitarian organisations to help reduce mass infections in developing countries that often lack the healthcare systems to track and halt the virus. This includes £130 million to UN agencies in response to their COVID-19 humanitarian appeals.
To help reduce transmission and inform the public, the UK government is also working with Unilever to fund a £100 million global hygiene programme. This campaign will be tailored to communities to ensure messages are inclusive and effective. It will reach up to a billion people worldwide, raising awareness and changing behaviour, to make sure that people are washing their hands with soap regularly and disinfecting surfaces. The programme will also provide over 20 million hygiene products in the developing world, including in areas where there is little or no sanitation.
In addition, we are redirecting existing support and programmes ensure responses to COVID-19 are fully inclusive, including supporting the needs of older people.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how the £46 million aid package to fight the spread of COVID-19, announced on 6 March, will be deployed to assist health systems in vulnerable countries.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK is at the forefront of the global response to COVID-19. We are using UK aid to its full effect to counter the health, humanitarian and economic risks of this pandemic. Since the £46 million was announced, the UK has committed further resources, up to £241 million of funding to support the global efforts to combat the outbreak of COVID-19.
These funds are supporting three main areas of work: helping developing countries manage the crisis by supporting the operations of the UN, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the provision of expert advice; supporting the International Monetary Fund to relieve debt servicing pressures on countries struggling with the virus; and supporting international scientific efforts to develop diagnosis tests and vaccines. Furthermore, through our ongoing overseas operations, DFID is supporting programmes in over 20 countries to improve health systems, such as by building capability for health security through disease surveillance and response.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Department for International Development will remain the UK Government Department responsible for administering overseas aid; and whether the goal of that Department will continue to be “to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty”.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
DFID continues to lead the UK’s work to reduce poverty and deliver the Sustainable Development Goals, maximising opportunities to work jointly with other government departments as demonstrated by the cross-Government response, jointly led by DFID and FCO, to supporting global efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The PM has appointed a fully joint junior ministerial team, along with separate Secretaries of State for the Foreign Office and DFID, to ensure the departments will work more closely overseas to deliver the Government’s objectives. DFID ministers retain authority over decisions on DFID aid spending and accountability for all financial resources remains within existing departmental lines.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish the corporate report to replace the Single departmental plan: 2015 to 2020, which was withdrawn on 13 March.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
Single Departmental Plans are updated annually setting out the Department’s plans to deliver the Global Goals. The most recent version was uploaded in June 2019 and can be found at:
Plans will be updated once departments have prepared them as part of the normal government planning and performance process.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what actions they are taking to protect the safety of (1) UK health workers, and (2) in-country frontline healthworkers in developing countries, following the outbreak of COVID-19.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government take the safety of healthcare workers very seriously. The COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control guidance has been updated to ensure that healthcare workers are protected and all hospitals remain safe, now and in the future.
Infection prevention and control (IPC) measures are absolutely essential to ensure all healthcare workers are protected from infection with COVID-19.
The UK has announced up to £241 million of aid funding to support the global efforts to combat the outbreak of COVID-19. As part of this, we are supporting the World Health Organisation and UNICEF to strengthen infection prevention and control in health facilities, to protect health workers in developing countries.