The United Kingdom has pledged £105 million (Shs502b) to help vulnerable African countries, including Uganda, tackle the Omicron variant and reduce Covid-19 transmission. 

Uganda has so far registered 73 cases of Omicron variant.  
The UK Foreign Secretary, Ms Liz Truss , in a statement issued yesterday said the emergence aid will help needy countries fight Omicron and other Covid-19 variants.

The aid is intended to  help scale up Covid-19 testing, improve access to oxygen supplies for ventilators, provide communities with hygiene advice, products and access to hand washing facilities and support deep cleaning in schools, health centres and other public places.
The testing and oxygen supplies will be funded through the Covid-19 response mechanism C19RM, established by the Global Fund to fight HIV/Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
This is a proven, rapid, and highly effective approach designed to respond to the needs of communities in low and middle-income countries.
The aid will also fund the UK’s ground-breaking research into the spread of  Covid-19 variants  that will enable innovative evidence-based policy responses.
“The UK is providing vital assistance to help tackle the spread of new variants around the world. This is key to securing our freedom and ending this pandemic once and for all,” Ms Liz said.
She added: “I am proud that we have also delivered over 30 million vaccines to benefit our friends around the world this year. No one is safe until everyone is safe.”  
Donations The UK donates vaccines through Covax as well as directly to countries. So far, doses donated by the UK have arrived in Uganda, Angola, Antiqua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Belize, Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Laos, and Malawi.
Others are Malaysia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Senegal, Thailand, Vietnam, and Zambia.
The UK kick-started efforts to establish Covax, pledging £548m (Shs2.6 trillion)to the scheme.  Covax has so far provided 811 million doses to 144 of the world’s poorest countries.
The government also invested more than £88m (Shs420b) to support the development of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, and the UK became the first country in the world to approve the jab a year ago.
It was also announced that the UK would host a replenishment conference in March 2022 to support the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to raise funds for vaccine research and development.
Dr Seth Berkley, the Chief Executive Officer of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, said: “We welcome the UK’s commitment in new funding to protect the most vulnerable, particularly in Africa and its continued focus on Covax and equitable global access to Covid-19 vaccines.”