Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to help ensure that the World Bank’s Pandemic Fund is used to ensure that healthcare facilities worldwide have adequate access to water, sanitation, and hygiene.

The UK has committed £25 million to the new Pandemic Fund, launched by the World Bank. A priority for the UK is ensuring that the Pandemic Fund helps strengthen health systems in low-income countries - vital as these are for pandemic prevention and response, but also for addressing the health priorities of countries outside of a pandemic. As part of this, the UK recognises and advocates for the critical importance of adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene services in health systems. The first round of funding from the Pandemic Fund has yet to issue - the UK will take part in the upcoming Board discussions that will determine the disbursement of this funding.