US commits over $ 775 mn to help other countries fight virus

Washington: Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the US has committed over USD 775 million in emergency health, humanitarian and economic assistance that will help over 120 countries, including India, in fighting the pandemic, the State Department has said, as the deadly disease claimed over 230,000 lives and infected over 3.3 million people.
According to a fact sheet released by the US State Department on Friday, the over $ 775 million assistance is specifically aimed at helping governments, international organisations, and NGOs to fight the pandemic.
This funding, provided by Congress, will save lives by improving public health education, protecting healthcare facilities, and increasing laboratory, disease-surveillance, and rapid-response capacity in more than 120 countries, it said.
India has received $ 5.9 million in health assistance to hinder the spread of the disease by providing care for the affected, disseminating essential public health messages to communities and strengthen case-finding and surveillance, it said. This builds on a foundation of nearly USD 2.8 billion in total assistance to India over the last 20 years, which includes more than USD 1.4 billion for health.
In South Asia, Afghanistan (USD18 million), Pakistan (USD15 million) and Bangladesh (USD12.3 million), have received more in COVID-19 health assistance from the US, it said.
America’s COVID-19 assistance to-date includes nearly USD 200 million in emergency health assistance from USAID’s Global Health Emergency Reserve Fund for Contagious Infectious-Disease Outbreaks and Global Health Programs account. These funds prioritised interventions to mitigate and prepare communities in developing countries affected and at a risk of COVID-19. (PTI)