As part of the support to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, the European Union has announced a grant of €30m (about Shs120b) to the Uganda government “To help Uganda address both the health emergency caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and its longer-term socio-economic impacts, the European Union Delegation to Uganda is re-focusing its existing cooperation and mobilizing additional funding,” the EU delegation to Uganda said in a statement yesterday.

The EU said the money will be made available later this year. Part of this money will be directed to support the short-term response of the Ministry of Health to the pandemic.
The statement said the EU and its member States are working in a joint effort to contain the spread of coronavirus both in Europe and beyond to save lives, heal the sick, protect the vulnerable, and strengthen research, support health systems and economies.

“The European Union stands by Uganda in the fight against Covid-19. The coronavirus pandemic requires united, global action in response. This is a global fight that we will either win or lose together,” EU Head of Delegation to Uganda Attilio Pacifici, said. “The re-focussing of our support to Uganda is part of a global exercise that the EU is undertaking to help address this crisis in Africa and beyond,” he added. He said additional support to Ministry of Health to implement the Covid-19 response plan will also be provided through civil society.
The EU Delegation said they will reorient some of the existing programmes and launch new calls for proposals worth €2m (about Shs8b) to raise awareness on hygiene and to curb domestic violence, among other issues.