Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government will take to ensure pharamceutical companies in receipt of public funds allow equitable access to covid-19 vaccines and medical tools for people living in the global south.
The UK has long supported affordable and equitable access to essential medicines and vaccines in the UK, and for people living in the Global South. We have committed £250 million of UK aid – the largest contribution of any country - to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to develop a portfolio of Covid-19 vaccines that, once available, will be available to all. CEPI works with a range of partners to support equitable access for products that it supports. The UK has further committed £40 million to the Wellcome Therapeutics Accelerator and £23 million to the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), both of which are central to efforts to accelerate development and access to new treatments and tests.