The story of U.S. leadership in the global battle against Covid-19 is a story of days, months, and decades. Every day, new U.S. technical and material assistance arrives in hospitals and labs around the world. These efforts, in turn, build on a decades-long foundation of American expertise, generosity, and planning that is unmatched in history.
The United States provides aid for altruistic reasons, because we believe it’s the right thing to do. We also do it because pandemics don’t respect national borders. If we can help counties contain outbreaks, we’ll save lives abroad and at home in the U.S.
That generosity and pragmatism explains why United States was one of the first countries to help to the Chinese people as soon as reports emerged from Wuhan of another outbreak. In early January, the United States government offered immediate technical assistance to the Chinese Centers for Disease Control.
In the first week of February, the U.S. transported nearly 18 tons of medical supplies to Wuhan provided by Samaritan’s Purse, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and others. We also pledged $100 million in assistance to countries to fight what would become a pandemic – including an offer to China, which was declined.
Our response now far surpasses that initial pledge. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the U.S. government has committed nearly $500 million in assistance to date. This funding will improve public health education, protect healthcare facilities, and increase laboratory, disease-surveillance, and rapid-response capacity in more than 60 of the world’s most at risk countries– all in an effort to help contain outbreaks before they reach our shores.
Our aid helps people in the most dire circumstances. For instance, the U.S. government works with NGOs to deliver medicines, medical supplies, and food to the Syrian people, including those living in regime-held areas. We are helping United Nations agencies and nongovernmental organizations build more water, sanitation and health facilities across northern Syria to prevent the spread of the virus. We are aiding friends from Africa to Asia, and beyond.
America’s unsurpassed contributions are also felt through the many international organizations fighting Covid-19 on the front lines.
The U.S. has been the largest funder of the World Health Organization since its founding in 1948. We gave more than $400 million to the institution in 2019 – nearly double the second-largest contribution and more than the next three contributors combined.
It’s a similar story with the U.N. Refugee Agency, which the U.S. backed with nearly $1.7 billion in 2019. That’s more than all other member states combined, and more than four times the second-largest contributor, Germany.
Then there is the World Food Program, to which the U.S. gave $3.4 billion last year, or 42% of its total budget. That’s nearly four times the second-largest contributor, and more than all other member states combined. We also gave more than $700 million to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), more than any other donor.
We are proud that when these international organizations deliver food, medicines, and other aid all around the world, that too is largely thanks to the generosity of the American people, in partnership with donor nations.
Our country continues to be the single largest health and humanitarian donor for both long-term development and capacity building efforts with partners, and emergency response efforts in the face of recurrent crises. This money has saved lives, protected people who are most vulnerable to disease, built health institutions, and promoted the stability of communities and nations.
America funds nearly 40% of the world’s global health assistance programs, adding up to $140 billion in investments in the past 20 years – five times more than the next largest donor. Since 2009, American taxpayers have generously funded more than $100 billion in health assistance and nearly $70 billion in humanitarian assistance globally.
One true expression of the American compassion and commitment to global health is the partnership and investment made to strengthen Malawi’s health sector and fight against HIV/AIDS. Since 2004, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has provided over $1 billion to support Malawi’s HIV/AIDS epidemic response. This has translated into over 800,000 people living with HIV accessing lifesaving antiretroviral treatment, in addition to, a strengthened health system.
The Malawi Government, with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other stakeholders, is scaling up testing for COVID-19 nationally. This is being accomplished by leveraging HIV investments made by CDC, the Government of Malawi and other stakeholders in labs across the country. Over the last few weeks, CDC Malawi has worked with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to rapidly enable COVID-19 testing in a lab in Lilongwe; developed a four day training for lab staff in ten additional laboratories across the country; and continue to work alongside MOH colleagues to test samples. These efforts led ultimately to the announcement by President Mutharika of the first three COVID-19 cases confirmed in Malawi. CDC with PEPFAR funds has also placed orders for essential labs supplies to expand testing, will fund sample transportation for COVID testing and will provide quality assurance for the MOH labs.
USAID is mobilizing emergency response activities in 16 districts through the Organized Network of Services for Everyone’s (ONSE) Health activity, USAID’s flagship program for integrated health service delivery in Malawi. ONSE’s strong district footprint and engagement with the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) and other health sector partners enables the coordinated and rapid district-led response needed to contain the threat of COVID-19. ONSE also supported the MOH to renovate an existing building at Kamuzu Central Hospital to be utilized during the response as an isolation and treatment center. Other USAID support includes technical assistance to the Government of Malawi to count its inventory of medicine and personal protective equipment (PPE) to better mobilize and plan efforts for the COVID-19 response. USAID also oriented media representatives on COVID-19 to help ensure journalists are disseminating accurate and timely messages to the public and is working with the GOM to update and disseminate COVID-19 messaging. USAID awaits approval on a supplemental funding request to extend and continue these activities.
Our help is much more than money and supplies. It’s the experts we have deployed worldwide, and those still conducting tutorials today via teleconference. It’s the doctors and public-health professionals trained, thanks to U.S. money and educational institutions. And it’s the supply chains that we keep open and moving for U.S. companies producing and distributing high-quality critical medical supplies around the world.
Of course, it isn’t just our government helping the world. American businesses, NGOs, and faith-based organizations have given at least $1.5 billion to fight the pandemic overseas. American companies are innovating new technologies for vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and ventilators. This is American exceptionalism at its finest.
As we have time and time again, the United States will aid others during their time of greatest need. The COVID-19 pandemic is no different. We will continue to help countries build resilient health care systems that can prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. Just as the U.S. has made the world more healthy, peaceful, and prosperous for generations, so will we lead in defeating our shared pandemic enemy, and rising stronger in its wake.
Ambassador Robert Scott, U.S. Ambassador to Malawi