THE UNITED Kingdom and South Africa are to work more closely together to tackle pandemics and climate change.
Under the new agreement, a total of nine collaborative research projects by British and South African researchers are set to launch.
Institutions from across the UK and South Africa will undertake research into vital issues from health systems and financing to mental health and surgery.
The countries aim to protect global health systems from the increasing threat of climate change.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: “It is vital for countries across the world to work together to tackle global challenges like climate change and pandemic preparedness. This will benefit us all.
“The UK and South Africa have shown global leadership in joining together to protect people by preventing the spread of dangerous diseases, and by working to halt climate change – including through the ground-breaking Just Energy Transition Partnership, to help countries move away from using fossil fuels.”
Additional UK funding will aid future pandemic preparedness across 18 African countries.
The projects form part of a new move to enhance the UK-South Africa health partnership.
The new agreement was signed by the South African Health Minister and UK Health Secretary at the Francis Crick Institute in London, during South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State Visit to the UK.
Fighting disease
Under the new agreement funding will be available for South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases and is supporting genomic sequencing to improve antimicrobial resistance surveillance on the African continent.
With UK support, more than 17,000 genomes have been sequenced to date in South Africa.
The new support will enable detection of dangerous diseases faster across at least 18 African countries, building resilience into our health systems and protecting the world against future pandemics.
Vaccine manufacturing
The partnership will prioritise building vaccine manufacturing in Africa, to ensure vaccines can be developed and reach those who need them faster, including the most vulnerable.
With the manufacturing of vaccines in Africa, the UK and South Africa believe this will mean the world will be better prepared for future pandemics.
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Strengthening the partnership between the UK and South Africa is not only crucial in improving health and patient outcomes in both countries but it is also vital to add to the global resilience of our health systems.
“Through this partnership we will reinforce our shared commitment to ensuring the world is better prepared for future pandemics through joint research and building capability for disease surveillance including antimicrobial resistance.”
Comments Form
1 Comment
Since the end of apartheid, South Africans have been governed by a session of incompetent African leaders, who have placed the privilege and welfare of the minority wealthy Caucasian elite mine owners, above the needs of the native African population.
South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa is the latest.
The African people of South Africa need to be the chief beneficiaries of South Africa’s mining wealth.
In the 1970s Mr Cyril Ramaphosa was nightly on England’s T, V, news, leading the striking miners of apartheid-era South Africa.
Having become incredibly wealthy from being given mining shares, it was sickening to see Mr Ramaphosa in 2011 call out the military against unarmed peaceful striking miners.
Shots from the armed military killed many of the striking Miners.
The people of South Africa today require jobs; an effective Police Force, an effective Judiciary to tackle South Africa’s savage criminality, and righteous political and Parliamentary leadership; much more than vaccines, and climate agreements with western Caucasian nations.
The people of South Africa have voted for the ANC since 1996.
South Africa desperately requires a change from the incompetence of the Marxist ANC.