Zika Virus

Lord Collins of Highbury Excerpts

Tuesday 2nd February 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for repeating the Answer to the Urgent Question. I welcome, too, the Government’s response, working with Public Health England and the Department of Health to ensure that the public in this country receive clear and proper guidance, particularly those who travel. However, our thoughts must be with those affected, with 16,000 cases of microcephaly occurring. There is no test, no cure and no vaccine. People are facing a life of disability and poverty.

Ebola has shown the limitations of the global community’s approach to heath emergencies and it triggered a huge debate on how we should reform the WHO to make it fit for purpose. While I, too, welcome the speed of the emergency committee’s response to Zika, what steps have the Minister’s department taken in pressing for a review of the international approach to health emergencies, incorporating the function, structure and funding of the WHO? I am particularly concerned about the expectations and role of major donors. I note what the Minister said about Britain’s contribution but our part in this must be to encourage others to do more. This crisis also underscores the importance of investing in a strong system of research and development for global health. We had a debate on neglected tropical diseases in which we highlighted this issue. On a point of clarification, in relation to the additional funds being made available through the Ross fund and the Gates Foundation, it was not clear whether there would be additional money for the development of vaccines. I would be grateful for an answer on that.

[Baroness Verma]

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for welcoming the work that DfID is doing in responding to this outbreak. He referred to the response to Ebola and the lessons we have learned from that: for example, that health systems on the ground needed to be strengthened. Since then, we have worked to ensure that there is strong reform of how the WHO responds.

The noble Lord also referred to funding. While the UK plays its role, other major donors must also raise their own contributions. As the noble Lord is aware, we work very closely with partners to ensure that we get appropriate funding. We have learned many lessons. Part of that was ensuring that people on the ground are able to respond fully, with trained people in place. Therefore, we have concentrated on looking at how the systems are responding, particularly in Brazil, where we have seen the larger outbreak. This outbreak has elevated itself into people’s minds. The Zika virus is well known in Brazil. Research is being undertaken in a number of areas. Public Health England has offered support through the Pan American Health Organization. We are waiting for that offer to be taken up. The Ross fund, to which the noble Lord referred—the £1 billion that was announced by the Chancellor—will provide funding for research and development. Included in that will be the UK vaccines network, which will have £120 million of funded support and will be headed by the chief scientific adviser from the Department of Health, Professor Chris Whitty. The UK is doing a range of things and is responding. We know very well that we do not have antiviral for this virus at this moment in time. Those exercises are currently taking place.