US announces additional $25m in Covid-19 assistance

The United States government, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), announced an additional $25 million in urgent Covid-19 assistance to help Bangladesh.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the US government has now provided a total of over $121 million to support Bangladesh’s response to Covid-19.

This assistance will help provide life-saving medical and oxygen supplies and cold chain equipment to store, transport, and administer vaccines safely in the country.

In addition to US-donated vaccines, this new US assistance will help Bangladesh expand vaccinations to people across the country, enable health workers to treat critically ill patients more effectively, and enhance the quality of care in health facilities, said a press release.

“We are proud to work with Bangladesh to help health professionals respond to Covid-19 by equipping hospitals with oxygen and other specialized equipment to improve the quality of critical care across the country for years to come,” said US Ambassador Miller.

“This new assistance will also support Bangladesh’s goal of vaccinating 40 percent of the population by the end of the year,” he added.

Total US government Covid-19 assistance to date includes the donation of 11.5 million doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and additional support for the rollout of the national vaccination campaign.

The US government has also committed $4 billion to support the worldwide COVAX vaccination effort, making it the world’s largest donor for equitable global Covid-19 vaccine access.

Through USAID, the US Department of Defense, the US Department of State, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US government has also provided medical supplies, ventilators, oxygen equipment, pulse oximeters, and millions of pieces of personal protective equipment for frontline workers throughout Bangladesh.