Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to support countries that have not reached the peak of the covid-19 outbreak to lower those peaks with prevention projects and programmes.
We are helping countries that have not yet reached the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak to respond to COVID-19 by funding bilateral programmes and multilateral organisations, globally and in specific countries.
This includes (1) supporting governments of lower income countries to prevent, detect and respond to COVID-19, (2) providing medical supplies and equipment to health facilities, (3) raising public awareness on the importance of hygiene for preventing the spread of infection; and (4) increasing access to the tools that people need to follow this advice such as handwashing stations, hygiene products and drinking water.
To date, the UK has committed £744 million to support global efforts to tackle COVID-19. £276 million of this will support vulnerable countries to respond and to become more resilient to the impact of COVID-19.