Washington DC, 17 May 2022 (TDI): USAID announced expanded efforts to prevent future pandemics and start the test and treat method. This will be part of USAID’s ongoing efforts to bring the COVID-19 pandemic’s acute phase to an end and help to improve global health security.
The announcement was made at the second Global COVID-19 Summit held last week.
USAID commitments
• $200 million investment in sustained financing to build global capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to pandemics.
In FY22, USAID intends to contribute another $200 million in global health security financing. This money will go toward the World Bank’s new pandemic preparation and global health security fund.
The plans build on the Administration’s initial $250 million pledge, which was made during the inaugural Global COVID-19 Summit in September 2021. This brings the total amount of money announced by the US government to $450 million.
The US urged other countries to follow suit and acknowledged $3.1 billion in new financial commitments announced at the summit. This fund, which several nations and donors will back, will be launched this summer.
This will provide long-term funding to improve local, national, and international capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to the current pandemic. In addition, future pandemics and other infectious disease threats will be avoided.
• $20 million to launch a lifesaving Test and Treat COVID-19 strategy in up to eight countries.
It is critical to increasing global access to COVID-19 medicines, such as the recently approved, safe, and effective oral COVID-19 antivirals. This can save the lives of both vaccinated and unvaccinated people who contract COVID-19.
These new antivirals should be given in the early stages of infection for the best results. The method devised by USAID focuses on early detection and treatment. It will assist low and middle-income countries ease the strain on their healthcare systems.
COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths will also be reduced. This will be accomplished through rapid diagnosis and community and healthcare facility access to oral COVID-19 antiviral medicines.
USAID will use the American Rescue Plan Act funds to invest $20 million. A robust test and treat approach will be launched in up to eight nations in 2022. This will be done with other US government initiatives, such as PEPFAR.
The approach will support COVID-19 treatment delivery and access. People who test positive will receive assistance within five days of the start of symptoms. It also includes risk variables for COVID-19 illness development.
The commitment of USAID will help to leverage up to $80 million in investment. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria will provide this funding. Rapid diagnostics and oral COVID-19 antiviral medicines will be purchased with the funding.
Unitaid will provide an additional $22 million to the fund. Continued Unitaid/FIND early adoption will broaden and speed the introduction of innovative medicines. It also speeds up the start of test-and-treat programs launched in late 2021.
In 2022, this $120 million in investments will support test and treat adoption in over 20 countries. This approach complements USAID’s current efforts to terminate the COVID-19 pandemic’s acute phase.
This will help give over 539 million immunizations to people in 115 countries. Through Global VAX, this will lead to efforts to get shots in arms in over 100 countries. This will also help to build healthcare systems worldwide.
