Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance and support they are providing to (1) the Chairperson of the African Union, (2) the World Health Organisation and (3) the African Union’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, in coordinating a response to, and mitigating, the economic impact of COVID-19 in Africa.

Ministers and officials are in regular contact with senior World Health Organisation and African Union representatives in coordinating a response to COVID-19 in Africa.

Our partnership with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention includes technical cooperation through the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team and Public Health England, as well as a £2 million research grant through the joint DFID–Wellcome Trust Initiative on Research for Epidemic Preparedness.

Under the African Union-UK strategic partnership, we are in close contact with the African Union on their plans to address the peace and security impacts of the pandemic and promote the continent’s economic recovery. This has included action alongside the Paris Club and G20 partners to respond to African Union calls for debt support.

The UK has provided £75 million to the World Health Organisation to coordinate and support international efforts to end the pandemic.