(1 week, 4 days ago)
Commons ChamberUK leadership on global health is critical to safeguarding our national and international health security, building resilience and creating prosperity. I work closely with my counterparts across Government. I recently met the Foreign Secretary to discuss these issues, which are also high on the agenda of the Minister for Development. The UK has one of the largest vaccination programmes in the world, and our confidence and uptake rates are among the highest globally.
The NHS and the UK reap the benefits of our work in global health. Gavi is one of the UK’s greatest success stories: it has inoculated 1 billion children worldwide, but it has also strengthened our health security, keeping us safe from diseases such as Mpox and Ebola. What leadership will the Secretary of State and his Department take to strengthen organisations such as Gavi to keep us safe here in the UK?
The hon. Member raises an important point. I know that my ministerial colleagues in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office are looking at the investment cases for Gavi and the Global Fund as part of the spending review. I will ensure that her representations are relayed to the FCDO, and she is very welcome to make those points during oral questions to that Department.