Tag: 2019 Press Release

Below is a press release issued by the Department for International Development on 10/10/2019.

New £100 million private sector funding to tackle malaria will be doubled by UK aid, to help stop six million cases of malaria and save 75,000 lives.

Every death from malaria is “a preventable tragedy”, International Development Secretary Alok Sharma said today, as he doubled £100 million of private sector support to fight the disease.

Mr Sharma announced UK aid would boost the funding from organisations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Nando’s.

The UK’s support will come from its £1.4 billion pledge in June this year to tackle AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria through the Global Fund.

It came as Mr Sharma said the international community must work together to do more to fight malaria.

Malaria kills a child every two minutes and is the biggest killer of children under five in most of Africa.

Speaking at the Global Fund replenishment conference in Lyon, France, the International Development Secretary said:

Malaria is entirely preventable. Every death is a tragedy that is in our power to stop.

I am determined to step up the UK’s efforts to end preventable deaths of mothers, new-born babies and children in the developing world by 2030.

Thanks to our partnership with the private sector, UK aid is helping to save many thousands of lives in the fight against this deadly disease.

As the second-largest international donor to the Global Fund, the UK has been at the forefront of efforts to reduce the number of cases by investing in treatment, prevention and research.

But globally progress has stalled.

This new £100 million malaria money from the private sector will help provide 20 million mosquito nets, prevent six million cases of malaria, and save over 75,000 lives.

It will also strengthen health systems so governments are better equipped to prevent and treat malaria.

Sherwin Charles, CEO of Goodbye Malaria, said:

The private sector can play a transformational role when it comes to ending the world’s deadliest infectious diseases.

We need continued investment in new technologies, health innovations and greater efficiency. This will accelerate access to newer and more effective tools.

In June this year, the UK pledged £1.4 billion to the Global Fund.

At the time, the UK said it would aid match private sector support, which since then has raised £100 million towards the Malaria Match Fund. This includes £50 million from the Gates Foundation.

The UK government has doubled their contributions with £200 million to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, which is included within our £1.4 billion pledge to the Global Fund.

Below is a press release issued by the Department for International Development on 10/10/2019.

International Development Minister Baroness Sugg visited Ghana last week to strengthen trade and investment ties ahead of the UK-Africa Investment Summit in 2020.

Co-hosting the UK-Ghana Business Council alongside the Ghanaian Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia, Baroness Sugg discussed how UK aid and investment can help Ghana move beyond aid by creating jobs, boosting growth and driving its huge economic potential.

During her visit, Baroness Sugg launched a new partnership between the London Stock Exchange and the Ghana Stock Exchange, which will see the UK share its world-class City of London expertise to help Ghana become a regional hub for financial services.

She also championed the use of UK aid to help businesses in Ghana in a range of sectors. This includes helping garment companies scale up their exports globally and supporting agri-businesses become more productive, competitive and attractive for investors.

International Development Minister Baroness Sugg said:

“Ghana is set to be one of the world’s fastest-growing economies this year and our flourishing partnership is helping to create jobs, improve access to basic services and boost economic growth, all of which are vital to ending poverty.

Building strong African markets will help attract quality investment from around the world and encourage more trade in the future. The UK-Africa Investment Summit in London next year will help further unlock the potential of African nations.

The UK and Ghana already enjoy strong economic ties: UK imports of goods from Ghana increased by 143.7% in the year to April 2018.

Africa is home to some of the fastest emerging economies in the world and the UK-Africa Investment Summit 2020 will provide a platform to promote the breadth and quality of investment opportunities across Africa.

The Summit will bring together businesses, governments and international institutions and will be a key milestone towards achieving the UK’s objective of becoming the largest G7 investor in Africa.”

The UK will host the UK-Africa Investment Summit in London on 20 January 2020.

ENDS

Notes to editors

The UK-Ghana Business Council meeting was co-chaired by International Development Minister Baroness Sugg and the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and attended by key Cabinet ministers.

Baroness Sugg attended the third meeting of the UK-Ghana Business Council which builds on previous agreements to focus on six priority sectors: agri-processing, financial services, textiles and garments, pharma, digital and extractives.

Below is a press release issued by the Department for International Development on 17/10/2019.

Written Statement made by Secretary of State for International Development Alok Sharma on 17 Oct 2019.

This week marks one year on since the UK Department for International Development hosted the 2018 Safeguarding Summit, Putting People First: tackling sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment in the aid sector.

In early 2018 the aid sector’s failure over many years to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH) came into sharp relief.

The shocking stories that emerged exposed how aid workers had been allowed to get away with sexual misconduct. Their actions undermined trust in the whole sector and all the positive work that it does.

So from February 2018 DFID set out to work with others to change the way the aid sector tackles SEAH, from root to branch.

The October 2018 summit in London was an important milestone. More than 500 organisations came together to make commitments for change. This included 22 donors – who provide 90% of global ODA. We committed to global standards on prevention and improved processes covering ethical behaviour, robust recruitment and complaints processes.

These were not empty promises. Work is ongoing to put victims and survivors first and drive real culture change across the aid sector. This includes:

DFID’s £10 million project with INTERPOL to help stop perpetrators of SEAH moving around the aid sector by strengthening criminal record checks and information sharing between countries. Regional hubs are being set up and priority countries have been identified.

The Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, which means employers can share data on conduct and disciplinary records related to sexual misconduct with greater confidence. It is still early days, but the over 1,500 requests for information since January have prevented the hiring of at least 10 individuals.

Awarding the contract this month for DFID’s £10 million Resource and Support Hub to provide guidance, support and training to NGOs and others and access to independent investigators for smaller charities.

Today, DFID is publishing three reports showing some of the progress made and the challenges remaining.

The first has updates from each of the eight groups which made commitments at the summit: donors, UK NGOs, private sector suppliers, the United Nations, International Financial Institutions, CDC, research funders, and Gavi and the Global Fund. Initiatives include new tools and guidance for NGOs; mechanisms to collaborate and learn lessons among private sector suppliers; a new reporting tool for United Nations staff; the development of a Good Guidance Note by International Financial Institutions and CDC; an evidence review of safeguarding challenges by research funders; and the rollout of new training by Gavi and the Global Fund.

The second covers how donors are meeting their commitments. This includes the adoption of a new OECD Development Assistance Committee recommendation on ending SEAH in the aid sector; work to align donor SEAH clauses in funding agreements with multilateral agencies; and collective leverage to drive change across the UN. Donors are continuing to strengthen accountability, build more robust systems and drive culture change across the whole international system.

The third gives more details about what DFID has done. We have been clear that any sexual misconduct is totally unacceptable. But we know that sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment in the aid sector still happens far too often.

The international work led by DFID over the last year has generated good momentum and is starting to deliver results. But we must collectively keep working until every individual feels able to speak up and challenge abuses of power wherever they occur.

We must continue to do all we reasonably can to make zero tolerance a reality, by which we mean responding appropriately to every single report or case.

We must prevent SEAH from happening, listen to those affected, respond appropriately when allegations are made, and learn from every single case.

This is just the beginning of a long-term process.

I will build on the work of my predecessors to maintain momentum, to ensure the failings of the past do not happen again and to deliver better results for the people we serve.

If we do not get things right on safeguarding, and ensure the protection of the most vulnerable, then we fail in our ultimate goal to support the world’s poorest and jeopardise all the positive work aid does.

The commitments made at the London summit are having a positive impact. But more is required by every organisation and every programme if we are going to stop sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment in the aid sector. Something which we must achieve.

Below is a press release issued by the Department for International Development on 24/10/2019.

To mark World Polio Day this year, International Development Secretary Alok Sharma met with fundraisers, campaigners and polio survivors to thank them for their tireless efforts in the fight against the debilitating polio disease.

Speaking at the event, the International Development Secretary underlined the importance of support across society to end the disease, which can leave children unable to walk for the rest of their lives.

The commendable work of the Rotary Club’s members was celebrated, with clubs around the world having raised almost $2 billion to fight the disease. More than $40 million of this was raised by the Rotary Club’s 45,000 members in Great Britain and Ireland.

The UK is playing a leading role to eradicate polio, helping to immunise more than 45 million children around the world each year. The number of people contracting the disease around the world has been reduced by over 99.9% since 1988.

While only three countries in the world are yet to be declared wild polio free, experts predict that new cases could increase to 200,000 a year over the next ten years if efforts to fight the disease stall.

Speaking at the event, International Development Secretary Alok Sharma said:

Meeting with British people from across the country passionate about the fight against polio was a really uplifting moment. It was an honour to meet British polio survivors who have not only overcome adversity to succeed, but are now campaigning tirelessly to end the disease around the world.

We have made tremendous progress to fight the disease, and members of the Rotary Club here today have been pivotal in this, raising almost $2 billion globally since efforts began.

The UK is the second largest government donor in the fight against polio globally, and this is something I am incredibly proud of. We need to continue this vital work to immunise children, both around the world and in the UK, to keep polio at bay.

If we were to pull back on immunisations, in a decade we could see 200,000 new cases each year, which would be a tragedy for the children and the families affected, but also the world.

British polio survivors from across the UK joined the event to talk personally about how the disease affected their lives and why it is vital we work together across the world to eradicate it once and for all.

Fundraising efforts led by the Rotary Club in the UK has included their famous “Purple for Polio” campaign, where fundraising efforts are themed by the colour dye used to mark children’s fingers when they have received the polio vaccine. Creative fundraising events have included purple ice cream and teddy bears with purple jumpers.

There are now only three countries around the world that have not yet been declared wild polio free – Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria – with Nigeria not recording a case in the last three years.

Below is a press release issued by the Department for International Development on 22/07/2019.

We are inviting people and organisations to share their views on the UK’s Voluntary National Review process and gather ideas on future stakeholder engagement.

The UK’s first Voluntary National Review (VNR) of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals) was released in the UK on 26 June and presented to the UN High Level Political Forum in New York on 16 July.

As it was the first time that the UK conducted a VNR, it has been an opportunity to reflect on progress, learn lessons and set out next steps, as we progress towards 2030.

The Department for International Development is conducting review activities to identify key strengths, challenges and lessons to be learnt from the VNR process and gather ideas on future stakeholder engagement. This survey focuses on the stakeholder engagement that was carried out as part of the VNR, including how and who we should engage in the future. Your input will help us identify clear next steps to further support the UK’s delivery of the Goals.

The Sustainable Development Goals are for everybody and we want to gather views from any group, organisation, or individual about the VNR process.

Below is a press release issued by the Department for International Development on 28/10/2019.

Article in CityAM by the Lord Mayor of London on his recent business delegation visit to Kenya.

For nearly a year, my mayoral programme – Shaping Tomorrow’s City Today – has promoted UK innovation and technology, addressed social and digital exclusion, and championed digital skills.

And during my recent business delegation visit to Kenya, I saw the great potential that technological innovation offers to individuals and communities seeking financial empowerment.

Over the last 12 months, I have had many such glimpses of a bright digital future.

In Estonia, it was the power of augmented reality to make teaching more interactive. In Indonesia, it was a motorcycle ride-hailing app to improve urban transport. Around the world, the fourth industrial revolution is well under way.

On my recent visit to Nairobi, alongside the Department for International Development, I was able to announce £10m of UK aid to support a local catalyst fund. This will help local fintech companies to connect with UK and international investors.

I met many local startups: one is making it safer and more affordable to cook with clean gas, while another combines agricultural data and behavioural analytics to help farmers know how to better plan their financial year.

With the Prime Minister hosting the UK-Africa Investment Summit early next year, the UK has the opportunity to offer its expertise and backing to exciting new enterprises like these.

In doing so, we can forge partnerships across Africa that turbocharge national economies, create thousands of jobs, and enrich lives all over the continent, while building a relationship of mutual prosperity.

Shaping Tomorrow’s City Today has also focused on digital and social inclusion in the UK, through widening social mobility and developing digital skills. The skills gap is already costing the UK economy billions of pounds each year, while more than 11m UK adults lack the vital skills needed to make the most of new technology.

That’s why the “future.now” initiative, launched earlier this month, is so important. This coalition of leading companies, digital skills providers, and charities is working with the government to empower everyone to thrive in a digital UK.

Backed by more than 40 members and our six founding partners – Accenture, BT, City of London Corporation, Good Things Foundation, Lloyds Banking Group and Nominet – future.now will reach millions of people across the country with the best in digital skills training.

I’ve seen for myself the relentless pace of digitisation across the global economy. It’s becoming ever more difficult to distinguish between today and tomorrow. I’ve also seen how businesses and societies across the world are already mastering innovation and technology to shape a better and fairer global economy.

The startling growth of the UK’s tech, media, and creative sectors – as well as our reputation for innovation in financial services – mean that we have a vital role to play in the fourth industrial revolution across the globe.

As my mayoralty comes to its conclusion, it is my hope – and expectation – that the UK will continue to play a leading role.

Below is a press release issued by the Department for International Development on 05/11/2019.

The seven-year project across Africa, the Middle East and Asia will challenge endemic violent behaviour against women and girls.

Programme to tackle violence against women and girls to be rolled out across Africa, Middle East and Asia after successful pilot scheme

Seven-year programme, worth £67.5m, is biggest ever support package by a single donor country to tackle violence against women and girls

Pilot scheme halved violence in some areas in just two years

A new UK aid programme will help stop violence against one million of the world’s poorest women and girls, the International Development Secretary Alok Sharma announced today.

The seven-year Department for International Development (DFID) project across Africa, the Middle East and Asia will challenge endemic violent behaviour against women and girls.

It will build on a successful pilot, which halved the levels of physical and sexual violence committed by men against their partners in some communities, including in Tajikistan, Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In Ghana, for example, women in participating villages reported a 55 per cent drop in violence by their sexual partner over 18 months.

Projects included using group sessions with men and women to directly address the reasons why male partners were violent, giving women the skills to become more economically independent, and training faith leaders to challenge violence against women in their sermons, prayer groups and youth groups.

But the challenge remains high in many communities in developing countries. For example, 64% of women asked in a survey in Zambia had been sexually assaulted by their partner and 33% had been kicked, dragged, choked or burnt.

The new £67.5 million programme will work in more countries and expand previously successful projects to help even more women at risk.

It is the biggest ever investment by a single donor government on programming and research to prevent violence against women and girls globally.

International Development Secretary Alok Sharma said:

“Violence against women and girls affects communities around the world and one in every three women will experience it in their lifetime. It is an issue we must continue to tackle in both developing and developed countries.

However, for women and girls living in extreme poverty the threat is even higher. Failure to address this issue is not an option and doing nothing condemns future generations to repeat this cycle of violence.

This new support will make the lives of one million of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable women and girls safer – and help create a future where their daughters and granddaughters can live without fear.”

As well as expanding the successful pilots, the new programme, What Works to Prevent Violence: Impact at Scale, will support new projects with a focus on:

Communities hit by conflict and crisis. The risk of domestic violence rises during conflicts.

Reaching women and girls most at risk, including those with disabilities and adolescent girls

Addressing violence against children to stop violence passing from one generation to the next

As well as supporting projects on the ground, UK aid will also carry out research to determine which methods best stop violence against women and girls.

It follows DFID’s pioneering ‘What Works’ pilot scheme, which ran small-scale projects in 13 countries around the world, gathering evidence on what works to stop such violence.

Before this, there was little evidence internationally on how to tackle this issue, particularly in low and middle-income countries.