African countries face many difficulties in COVID-19 prevention. (Photo: EPA)

At an online meeting on Friday, the finance ministers and central bankers of the Group of Seven nations, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States is likely to back a new allocation of 500 billion USD of the International Monetary Fund's own currency, or special drawing rights.

A new issuance is similar to when a central bank prints money as the new SDRs (Special Drawing Right) give each IMF member more reserves to draw on in proportion to their shareholding in the Fund.

In 2009, a special allocation of nearly 183 billion SDRs helped countries cope with the effects of the global financial crisis.