Islamabad, 11 April 2022 (TDI): The United States (US) delivered 4.7 million Pfizer vaccines to Pakistan on 10th April. The total number of vaccine doses donated by the US to Pakistan has reached 61.5 million.
The United States, Pakistani authorities, and health professionals engaged in close coordination that “has produced tangible, life-saving results.”
The US Embassy in Islamabad stated that “We are collectively driving down Covid-19 numbers, allowing all of us to safely return to more normal operations.
Every additional vaccine administered boosts our ability to defeat future Covid-19 waves.” Pakistan and the United States have developed strong bilateral health cooperation in the wake of the pandemic.
The Chargé d’affaires, William Steuer, recognized the efforts and dedication of Pakistan’s public health officials in countering the spread of Covid-19 in the country.
Moreover, he said that “Pakistan is seeing a record low in Covid-19 cases and is a model in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.”
US-Pakistan Cooperation to Counter Covid-19
The United States is the single largest donor of Covid-19 vaccines to Pakistan. These vaccines include Pfizer and Moderna. Moreover, the United States has provided other protective equipment to Pakistan.
It includes more than 1.2 million N95 masks, 96,000 surgical masks, 52,000 protective goggles, one million Covid-19 rapid diagnostic tests, 1,200 pulse oximeters, and 200 ventilators for 64 Pakistani hospitals.
Also, the US government trained over 30,000 women health workers across Pakistan on home-based care for Covid-19 patients. It aided in the establishment of a national network of disease surveillance and response units and teams.
The US has donated $70 million in direct support and $9.2 million in in-kind support to assist Pakistan during COVID-19. Meanwhile, the US recently removed Pakistan from its travel control list as the Covid cases continue to fall.
Since April 2021, the positivity rates, new cases, and death rates are declining in Pakistan. The decline in cases and death rates has led to improvement in the COVID-19 situation and normalization in the country.
