US announces K14 million urgent assistance

THE United States (US) through its Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced US$4 million (about K14 million) urgent Coronavirus (Covid-19) help for Papua New Guinea as a part of an American rescue plan act.
The embassy, in a statement, said the emergency funding would support the Government as they battled the recent surge in the Covid-19 cases and its Delta variant.
Support includes the procurement of critical commodities to support oxygen delivery and clinical care, and provision of training and wraparound technical assistance to ensure prompt distribution and use of the oxygen across PNG’s health facilities.
“The Government of Papua New Guinea has had to respond to dynamic and uncertain challenges as this devastating pandemic evolves,” US ambassador to PNG, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, Erin McKee said.
“This additional funding is an example of the United States and the American people’s commitment to providing quick and agile support when and where our partners need it the most.”
The US Embassy said that with the additional assistance, the US government, through USAID and the US department of defence, had provided more than US$16 million (about K56 million) to address the Covid-19 in PNG.
USAID support has helped the country implement internationally-recognised infection prevention and control strategies, strengthen laboratory systems, case management and surveillance tracking, and communicate effectively about the Covid-19 prevention and care.
Additionally, the US is the largest vaccine donor in the world, recently marking the major milestone of 200 million Covid-19 vaccine doses delivered worldwide to more than 100 countries and territories.
Papua New Guinea received 302,400 Johnson and Johnson vaccines donated by the US through the Covax Facility – a global initiative to provide safe and effective vaccines – to which the US is the largest donor.
The US is committed to partnering PNG and other Pacific Island countries to end the Covid-19 pandemic, mitigate its devastating social and economic impacts and build back a world that is even better prepared for future outbreaks.