The U.S. government is supplying millions of dollars, training and equipment to African countries to help them combat the spread of the coronavirus.
These efforts will help maximize each nation’s medical response capabilities and capacities.
Across Africa, the U.S. is giving over $170 million to countries to provide coronavirus assistance, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
For example, the U.S. gave an initial $14 million to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to improve infection prevention and control at health facilities and support improved awareness of COVID-19, including working with religious leaders and journalists.
The U.S. has supplied funding for water sanitation and health supplies to these countries:
- Sudan, $13 million.
- South Sudan, $13 million.
- Somalia, $12 million.
- Central African Republic, $5 million.
USAID is also collaborating with several countries’ governments to provide training to their health officials. In Ethiopia, USAID sent infectious disease control experts to various parts of the country to help train health workers and medical staff on how to handle coronavirus cases. The health workers learned about proper isolation techniques for infected patients and how to manage triage efficiently should they receive an influx of cases.
To support #COVID19 response in Ethiopia, the U.S. is embedding infectious disease experts in national & regional emergency operations centers in Addis Ababa + 9 regions to train health workers & medical staff in handling coronavirus cases to keep themselves and patients safe. pic.twitter.com/NeBoFKnoB8
— USAID Ethiopia (@USAIDEthiopia) April 3, 2020
In Guinea, USAID collaborated with the Guinean National Health Security Agency to combat disinformation about coronavirus with training sessions and public outreach. This included a series of radio and television ads on coronavirus preparedness and a two-day course for journalists on how to be factual in reporting on coronavirus.
The U.S. government is also donating supplies to bolster medical response infrastructure. The U.S. Embassy in Namibia, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense, gave three ambulances to the country’s government, in addition to other medical equipment. The Namibian government will decide where the equipment is most needed and send it there, says the U.S. Embassy.
https://twitter.com/USEmbNamibia/status/1240653586494824451?s=20
“America remains the world’s leading light of humanitarian goodness” amidst the coronavirus pandemic, said Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo. “No other country gives so much.”