British High Commissioner Updates President Lungu on aid against coronavirus spread
“Covid-19 is a once-in-a-generation threat to the global community and requires countries, governments and individuals to all come together. That is why the UK Government’s response is both global and local.”
ON Wednesday 1 July, British High Commissioner Nicholas Woolley met with His Excellency President Edgar Lungu, to discuss a range of matters relevant to the UK-Zambia relationship.
The High Commissioner was accompanied by Mr Wilf Mwamba, the High Commissions Head of Governance and Human Development and Head of COVID Health Response Dr Sarah Goldsmith.
At the meeting, the High Commissioner took the opportunity to update His Excellency the President on areas in which the UK is supporting Zambia in its fight against the COVID-19, as well as how the UK is responding at the global level.
Focussing initially on Zambia, the High Commissioner set out a range of current health-related initiatives being supported by the UK in Zambia, that include:
• Over £720,000 (K16.2m of support via the World Health Organisation (WHO) to the Ministry of Health and other organisations in Zambia for preparedness in the face of COVID-19. This is part of an ongoing health system strengthening partnership between the UK and Zambia and has included provision of expert training to over 200 health workers, strengthening health surveillance practices at 16 points of entry, provision of essential medical supplies, and preparation of a range of communication materials to support awareness raising amongst health professionals and the general public.
• Creation of a new partnership between DFID and Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company to repair existing boreholes to improve the water supply to high density urban areas in Lusaka;
• a £450,000 (K10.1m) initiative co-funded by DFID and Unilever and delivered by WaterAid in Zambia, to improve hygiene practices and facilities in seven districts across Zambia, including Lusaka, Monze, Kazungula, Livingstone, Mwandi, Mwense and Samfya districts;
• provision of equipment and logistics capacity worth over £2.7m (K60m) to the Ministry of Health to support the country’s National Action Plan in tackling anti-microbial resistance through reinforcing existing surveillance systems, strengthening laboratory infrastructure, developing human capacity and technical skills and using protocols for appropriate antimicrobial use. The equipment provided includes specialist laboratory instruments and consumables used in the testing of Anti-Microbial Resistance;
• Following a direct request by the Ministry of Health, provision of an expert medical team that is providing support to:
– Rapid Response Teams and health facilities with mass screening, clinical care and infection and prevention practices
– Training and mentoring local staff in the correct use of medical equipment
– Assessing supply chain and logistics to ensure supplies reach the most affected areas of the outbreak; and
• Further provision by DFID of four vehicles to the Zambian National Public Health Institute to help surveillance teams do monitoring and transport COVID tests.
The High Commissioner informed His Excellency that this support constitutes just one strand of the UK’s strategy for supporting Zambia to tackle the impacts of COVID-19 in the short term. The UK is focussed on four priority areas in the short term:
– Health – supporting Zambia with its health system resilience and immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic
– Cash – supporting systems that support the most vulnerable people and small businesses with access to cash to support livelihoods and incomes
– Nutritious Food – enabling a functioning food system that ensures all Zambians’ have access to nutritious and affordable food supply
– Macroeconomic debt – working with the international community, other partners and the Zambian Government to enable Zambia to move towards a sustainable debt trajectory and access emergency international financing support
In the longer term, the High Commissioner reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to working with Zambia in areas including climate change, human development such as social protection and education, and growing the economy and job creation.
The High Commissioner also praised the work of British High Commission staff who are providing ongoing technical support and advice to public and private sector counterparts in Zambia across areas including health, nutrition, social protection, education, business support and climate change.
He also noted the critical role played by UK NGOs, such as WaterAid, SolarAid, PEAS Schools, Build-It International and School Club Zambia, all of whom he had had the opportunity to engage with recently on their COVID-19 responses in Zambia and were providing vital support to vulnerable communities across the country.
Turning to the global stage, the High Commissioner informed His Excellency that the UK has:
– Successfully co-hosted the Global Coronavirus Response Initiative on 4 May. The event raised US$7 billion for R&D on vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics. The UK has committed £318m to these efforts, including £250m (US$295m) to CEPI, making the UK the largest contributor to CEPI’s COVID-19 funding call.
– Pledged a total of £764m (US$938m) of UK aid to stop the spread of COVID-19, find a vaccine and save lives around the world, including in the UK.
– Announced a doubling of the UK’s loan to the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT), taking the total UK contribution to £4.4bn, and support of up to £150m to the IMF’s Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust.
– Led the international response to support vulnerable countries, including an ambitious G20 action plan, providing a package of US$200bn of global support from the World Bank Group and Regional Development Banks and the suspension of US$12 billion-worth of debt payments for the 77 poorest countries in the World.
– Hosted the virtual Global Vaccine Summit, which brought together more than 300 people, including 42 Heads of State, including President Lungu. It successfully raised US$ 8.8 billion from 32 donor governments and 12 foundations, corporations and organisations to immunise 300m children and support the global fight against COVID-19. US$ 567 million was also raised for new innovative financing instrument to provide access to COVID-19 vaccines for low- and middle-income countries
Concluding the meeting, the High Commissioner stated:
“Covid-19 is a once-in-a-generation threat to the global community and requires countries, governments and individuals to all come together. That is why the UK Government’s response is both global and local. We are pleased to support the Zambian people at a time when His Excellency the President Edgar Lungu has acknowledged the country is going through severe financial circumstances. But we urge all Zambians to remain vigilant and follow health advice of the authorities. It is only through our collective awareness and action that COVID-19 can be defeated”
In relation to DFID’s funding support in response to COVID-19, DFID Country Director for Zambia, Steve Beel said:
“The UK’s partnership with Zambia has always been, and remains, a broad one. In responding to COVID-19, not only do we look to the funding and expertise provided by DFID in areas such as health, financial inclusion and economic development, but we also recognise the key roles played by UK NGOs, by the Zambian diaspora in the UK, and UK businesses and investors. We see a core part of our role to help bring together all these UK-connected resources and players to contribute to Zambia’s immediate response and future development”
