US donates $ 580 million to seven organizations to combat COVID-19

The United States announced that it will donate US $ 580 million to international organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), to combat COVID-19.

“The rapid spread of the omicron variant shows that we need to continue to accelerate our efforts to end this pandemic and that none of us will be safe until we all are. This is a global pandemic that requires global solutions“US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

The additional funding announced Tuesday by Blinken brings the total amount of U.S. foreign aid against COVID-19 to $ 19.6 billion.

Specifically, the United States Department of State announced on Tuesday a package of US $ 280 million for the WHO, including US $ 50 million for an emergency fund to increase access to diagnostic tests and help the health systems of different countries.

In addition, Washington will grant US $ 75 million to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), affiliated with WHO, to provide technical cooperation in the administration of vaccines in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Another US $ 170 million will go to UNICEF to help distribute vaccines around the world, while US $ 20 million will go to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) with the goal of addressing the economic impact and of the pandemic, including programs to help you find a job.

It will also donate another US $ 20 million to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to support its policies around women’s reproductive health and mitigate maternal and neonatal mortality rates, as well as other complications related to COVID. -19.

Finally, US $ 10 million will be allocated to FAO and US $ 5 million to the UN entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women with the aim of helping women and girls during the pandemic with specialized programs in responding to gender-based violence.

This financial aid is in addition to the 330 doses of vaccines that the United States has sent to more than 110 countries alone or in collaboration with Covax, the mechanism promoted by WHO to guarantee global and equitable access to anti-COVID drugs.

This announcement comes just hours before US President Joe Biden delivers a long-awaited speech on the pandemic in which he could announce new measures, given the increase in cases and hospitalizations due to the rapid expansion of omicron and the rebound of delta .