Washington, 18 March 2022 (TDI): Over 500 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccines have been shared by the United States (US) Government to 110 economies, free of cost, with the aim of saving as many lives as they can.
According to Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, over $20 billion in health, humanitarian, economic, and development assistance to over 120 countries has been provided since the inception of the pandemic.
Last year, @POTUS committed that the United States would donate 1.2 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses around the world. Today we have reached another extraordinary milestone in our effort: 500 million doses shared to date. These were provided at no cost and are saving lives.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) March 17, 2022
The US has also invested in the speedy production of Covid-19 vaccines in Asia and Turkey. Also, the government is in correspondence with multiple governments and international organizations to ensure a steady supply of vaccines.
In addition, vaccine producers, NGOs, the private sector, and others are also collaborating with the US to deliver vaccines, get shots in arms, increase testing and treatment, support and protect healthcare workers, and more.
He remarked how their work is changing the world and making a difference in people’s lives. To ensure smooth coordination and execution of their work, the US has announced a Covid-19 global action plan.
He mentioned different nations who used this plan to help their people like the Zambian government utilized the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and used American Rescue Plan Act funds to support the administration of nearly two million COVID-19 vaccines.
This has been done through more than 500 health facilities across Zambia’s 10 provinces as part of its work to combat HIV/AIDS. Over 2 million Pfizer vaccine doses have been donated to Paraguay.
Likewise, a highly facilitated mass vaccination center in Paraguay is also administering more than 500,000 doses within a week with the help of the US government.
Similarly, a State Department grant helped Alfred Kankuzi in Malawi build his own app to respond to the rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation across social media.
Called COVID-19 NEBA, or “Hey Neighbor,” the app is offered in three languages; Chichewa, Tumbuka, and English and increases access to fact-based information from trusted sources.
These include the US Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, and Malawi’s Ministry of Health. Alfred has helped over 648,000 fellow citizens access accurate COVID-19 information.
“The pandemic might not be over, the Secretary stated, but our work and dedication to protecting people from Covid and its variants are pivotal. We support every nation that works tirelessly to end this pandemic.”
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