DHAKA, March 12, 2020 (BSS) – The US government, through USAID, has mobilized $2,500,000 to support Bangladesh’s COVID-19 readiness and response efforts.
The funding will support three priority areas: (1) strengthening infection prevention and control (IPC) measures in health facilities; (2) improving specimen transport and referral systems; and (3) increasing risk awareness communication and outreach, said a press release here
today.
On March 11, US Ambassador Earl Miller to Bangladesh met with Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) Director Dr. Meerjady Sabrina Flora to notify her of this commitment and apprised her of the US plan of action for this funding.
They also discussed ways to coordinate the two governments’ actions in
countering COVID-19 in Bangladesh, and how future tranches of funding could be best allocated.
The US government recently announced a commitment of $37 million finance from the Emergency Reserve Fund for Contagious Infectious Diseases at the US Agency for International Development(USAID) for 25 countries, 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 programmes led by USAID
implementing partners in individual countries.
These are the first US government funds committed from a recent pledge of
up to $100 million to be used worldwide.
Specifically, USAID is providing $700,000 to the World Health Organization
to work in partnership with the government of Bangladesh for rapid diagnosis,
case management, IPC, and awareness-raising concerning COVID-19.
USAID is also providing $650,000 for its Infectious Disease Detection and
Surveillance (IDDS) programme implemented by nonprofit FHI360, and an
additional $650,000 to Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services
(MTaPS) Program implemented by nonprofit Management Sciences for Health
(MSH).
USAID is also providing $500,00 to Johns Hopkins University to develop and
disseminate materials to raise wider awareness about COVID-19 in Bangladesh,
particularly information critical for front line healthcare workers.
As the COVID-19 outbreak expands geographically, the US government,
through USAID and other agencies, will continue to play a vital role in
supporting the global response.