PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Drug Resistance: Antimicrobials (18 November 2020)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications of the widening diagnostic gap for tuberculosis and other infectious diseases on efforts to curb antimicrobial resistance.

Asked by:
Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative)

It is still too early to establish the impact of COVID-19 on the spread of antimicrobial resistance. The UK is supporting countries to respond to the pandemic, maintain essential health services, including diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases like TB, and to strengthen health systems to combat antimicrobial resistance. This includes our investments in WHO, Global Fund and Gavi as well as bilateral support to country health systems.

The FCDO funds research programmes to promote the development of new diagnostics, medicines and vaccines. For TB and multidrug-resistant-TB, this includes our support to the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND). With our support, FIND have developed five new diagnostic tests for TB, now approved by WHO and being rolled out in over 27 countries. FCDO also funds UNITAID, which aims to triple access to rapid testing for MDR-TB, and to reduce MDR-TB drug prices.

Answered by:
Wendy Morton (Conservative)
24 November 2020