The United Kingdom has said it has earmarked £20million to be given to Africa as Anti-COVID-19 fund.

The fund was set up to tackle the coronavirus pandemic in African Union’s 55 member states.

A statement on Thursday by the British High Commission in Nigeria said the aid will be used to recruit African health experts, strengthen global tracking of the pandemic, combat harmful misinformation, provide specialist training for health workers and make information about the virus more accessible to the public.

International Development Secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: “As the UK faces its biggest peacetime challenge in tackling coronavirus, it’s never been more important to work with our partners in Africa to fight disease.

“No one is safe until we are all safe and this new funding and support for African leadership will help protect us all – in the UK, Africa and around the world – from further spread of the virus.”

British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing said: “The truly global scale of the current crisis means that international cooperation and solidarity is more important than ever.

“This £20million UK funding contribution to the African Union will provide important additional support to Nigeria and other countries across Africa and is a testament to the fact that the UK stands shoulder to shoulder with Nigeria in our collective challenge to defeat this terrible virus.”

The announcement brings the total UK aid contribution to fighting coronavirus to £764million.

The new support comes after the UK already pledged over $900million to the international fight against coronavirus and ahead of the UK’s virtual Global Vaccine Summit on June 4.