COVID-19 treatment centers across Uganda will be in position to provide lifesaving oxygen therapy for critically ill patients, protect health workers while on duty, following a USAID donation of life saving-commodities worth more than US Dollars 2.1 million.
U.S. Agency for International Development-USAID handed over life-saving commodities to the permanent secretary in the ministry of health Dr. Diana Atwine today.
These include oxygen delivery equipment such as cylinders, regulators, and other intensive care unit equipment; personal protective equipment such as respirators, surgical gloves, and masks; and supplies for infection prevention and control.
According to USAID mission director Richard Nelson the commodities handed over to the ministry of Health on Thursday will support Uganda’s national emergency response to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.
“The United States’ support for Uganda’s COVID-19 response will support Uganda’s national emergency response to mitigate the impact of the pandemic ” said USAID Mission Director Nelson at the handover event.
The United States continues to work hand-in-hand with the people of Uganda to prevent, detect, and respond to COVID-19.
“As long as COVID-19 is spreading and generating new variants anywhere, it poses a threat to people everywhere. That’s why the United States is committed to supporting COVID-19 response globally until this pandemic ends” he said.
Uganda has been a beneficiary of United States assistance valued at $113 million nearly UGX 402 billion to support the country’s COVID-19 response since the pandemic started last year.
United States has committed to donating 1.1 billion vaccine doses worldwide and is the leading financial donor to the COVAX facility that also is providing COVID-19 vaccines to Uganda and many other countries.
The U.S. government has so far donated more than 2.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Uganda, part of the more than 200 million U.S. donated doses delivered globally.