The United Kingdom yesterday announced new support of five million pounds sterling ($1.29b) to help contain the spread of COVID-19 in the Caribbean.
A release from the UK High Commission here said that this support includes £3 million to the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) for the provision of essential medical supplies and management support to help public health systems around the region fight the virus. A further £2 million will be used to boost assistance for the most vulnerable households, and to help counter domestic violence against women and children.
UK Minister for the Caribbean Baroness Sugg was quoted as saying: “The UK Government is committed to supporting our Caribbean friends and partners through this crisis. We all face unprecedented challenges with COVID19, and UK assistance is supporting vulnerable health systems in the Caribbean and across the world – to save lives, protect vital services and reduce the risk of future waves of infection globally. In addition to our multi-million funding to UN agencies and the WHO that benefits the Caribbean, this direct regional support will help Caribbean countries to cope with the coronavirus crisis, mitigate the wider social and economic impacts and protect the most vulnerable. The UK stands with you in these difficult times”.
As part of its wider response to COVID-19 in the region, the release said that the UK is also redirecting resources from its £400 million development programme to help tackle the crisis and support countries that are most at risk. The UK is giving support to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) Regional Response Mechanism (RRM). This encompasses COVID-19 modelling and surveillance products for participating states being developed by University of the West Indies, through the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre.
As a key donor to international efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus, the release said that the UK is taking urgent and essential global action in response to this pandemic. This includes the UK government’s £744 million commitment to support global efforts to arrest the spread of coronavirus, find a vaccine and save lives around the world.
“The UK government will continue to work with existing partners that are well placed to coordinate the regional and international response to the disease and help reduce the negative impacts on the economies and people of the region”, the release added.
