Kathmandu, March 3

The US government today announced a commitment of $37 million in financing from the Emergency Reserve Fund for Contagious Infectious Diseases at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) for 25 countries including Nepal affected by novel coronavirus COVID-19 or at high risk of its spread. The US Government is providing these funds to the World Health Organization, other multilateral institutions, and programs led by USAID's implementing partners, states a press release issued by USAID.

 

The new funding will help address the threat of COVID-19 in Afghanistan, Angola, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kenya, South Africa, Tajikistan, The Philippines, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe; Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, Ethiopia; the Kyrgyz Republic; the Lao People's Democratic Republic; Mongolia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Thailand; and Vietnam.

Funds that are going to the WHO will help the governments of currently affected or at-risk developing countries prepare their laboratories for large-scale testing for COVID-19, implement a public-health emergency plan for points of entry, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance for influenza-like illnesses, train and equip rapid-response teams, investigate cases and trace the contacts of infected persons, and adapt training materials for health workers on COVID-19.

 

These are the first US Government funds committed from the pledge of up to $100 million announced by the US Department of State on February 7, 2020. The funds that are going to the WHO will help the governments of currently affected or at-risk developing countries prepare their laboratories for large-scale testing for COVID-19, implement a public-health emergency plan for points of entry, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance for influenza-like illnesses, train and equip rapid-response teams, investigate cases and trace the contacts of infected persons, and adapt training materials for health workers on COVID-19, states the press release.

The US government has also called on other donors to contribute to the effort to combat COVID-19 as well.