British firms back Egypt in face of COVID-19

04 / 05 / 2020

By Marwa Nassar - -

British companies have been keen to support Egypt in its fight against the coronavirus as Cairo and London agreed to join hands in the face of the pandemic.

Vodafone has donated EGP10 million to buttress Egypt in confronting the pandemic.

British Petroleum (BP) has offered EGP2 million to equip quarantine hospitals with ventilators and to support the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

AstraZeneca has also donated 20,000 rapid coronavirus-related tests worth $100,000, in addition to 100,000 surgical masks, 100,000 gloves and 3,000 disposable gowns.

The UK has already provided training to over 250 Egyptian medical staff, equipping them with advanced skills in Intensive Care, Basic Life Support, and Cardiovascular Life Support.

The British Ambassador to Egypt, Sir Geoffrey Adams, has agreed with Minister of International Cooperation Dr. Rania El Mashat the key elements of the UK’s engagement with Egypt in the two countries’ shared fight against the coronavirus.

In a letter addressed to Mashat, the British ambassador set out the UK’s support for the ministry’s efforts, in line with its people, projects, and purpose framework.

Under this framework, the Embassy and British businesses will further work together to address the immediate medical needs of both Egypt and the UK.

The UK is placing emphasis on support to healthcare provision, social protection, and the economic reform agenda in its programs in Egypt.

On 20 January this year, a joint statement was issued by the then Secretary of State for International Development of the United Kingdom and Minister Mashat, outlining a number of areas of enhanced economic cooperation.

Meanwhile, the UK is playing a leading role in the global campaign against the Coronavirus. It is the G7 lead on support to vulnerable countries during the crisis. The UK has confirmed a responsive funding package of more than GBP 700m, including GBP 130m contribution to the UN, GBP 65m of which is allocated to the World Health Organization (WHO). The UK is co-hosting the virtual Global Coronavirus Response Summit on 4 May, and will host the virtual Global Vaccines Summit on 4 June.