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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider US gives $5.3 aid to PH's COVID-19 response

US gives $5.3 aid to PH's COVID-19 response

Published Apr 22, 2020 12:00 am
  By Roy Mabasa The United States government on Monday announced an additional US$5.3 million (P269 million) in humanitarian aid to the Philippines to help the country fight the scourge of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This brings the total US assistance to the Philippines’ COVID-19-related efforts to US9.3 million (roughly P470 million), said a statement from the US Embassy in Manila. Through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the aid will be spent on the implementation of projects related to prevention, control and response strategies to protect against infectious diseases. The latest tranche will support laboratory and specimen-transport systems and intensify case-finding and disease surveillance. It will also assist Filipino and international technical experts in risk communication, infection prevention and control efforts, hand washing and hygiene promotion, and community-level preparedness and response. Last month, the United States announced P203 million ($4 million) in health funding to support the Philippine government’s efforts to prepare laboratory systems to combat the virus, as well as a donation of 1,300 cots to Philippine medical facilities. So far, the assistance has boosted the testing capacity of the Department of Health (DOH) from 200 to approximately 3,000 tests per day. In addition, it has promoted the following: intensified infection control through USAID’s online learning modules in more than 100 hospitals nationwide; enhanced risk preparedness and crisis communications; strengthened supply-chain management, and expanded community access to water, sanitation, hygiene services, and commodities. “The United States has invested more than $4.5 billion in total assistance to the Philippines over the past 20 years, including $582 million to support the public health system,” the US embassy said.
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