London (AFP)
The UK will offer genome expertise to resource-poor countries to help them identify new variants of the virus causing Covid-19, the UK government is expected to announce on Tuesday.
"This pandemic has shown that the bases of so many experiences specific to everyday life are contingent not only on our health or that of our neighbors but also that of people we have never met", should declare the secretary Health, Matt Hancock, according to excerpts from a speech released by the government.
"When one of us suffers, we all suffer. We must therefore promote the health security of all countries," Hancock will insist.
The UK, which is chairing the G7 this year, wants to take the opportunity to promote "a more efficient and collaborative global health system" to ensure that the international community will be better prepared in the future. this type of threats.
It is for this purpose that the United Kingdom must provide the necessary resources to help those countries which so wish to analyze new strains of the virus through its "New Variant Assessment Platform", which will be managed by Public Health Englent ( PHE), in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) research group in charge of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing Covid-19.
UK laboratories will work directly on samples sent from overseas or provide "remote support and expert advice" when needed, according to the government.
Countries asking for help will go through the WHO.
The UK has sequenced more than half of the SARS-CoV-2 samples presented on the global database, and its scientists have identified the variant that is currently spreading in the country.
© 2021 AFP