Speeches Shim
COVID-19 is one of the greatest health challenges our world has ever faced. To beat the virus in the United States, we must also fight it abroad. USAID’s work to end the pandemic is keeping Americans safe, saving lives around the world, and rebuilding the U.S. and global economies.
We need to attack this virus globally, not just at home, because it’s in America’s self-interest to do so. The virus knows no boundaries. —President Joe Biden
USAID’s Global Response
COVID-19 knows no borders and no one is safe until everyone is safe. USAID is working around the clock to help save lives and end the pandemic for all. Since the beginning of the pandemic, USAID has supported more than 120 countries to contain and combat the virus. To date, USAID has provided more than $9 billion to intensify the fight against COVID-19 around the world, pave the way to global recovery, and strengthen global health security.
Only through collaboration can we collectively overcome COVID-19. —Administrator Samantha Power
USAID’s Programs
USAID is building on decades of global health leadership combating infectious diseases such as Ebola, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria to now fight COVID-19. USAID programs are helping deliver vaccines and get shots in arms, expand access to COVID-19 testing and treatment, protect and train health workers, deliver life-saving health commodities and equipment, share reliable public health information, and safeguard global health security. Yet USAID is not just fighting the disease—USAID is fighting to secure decades of development progress that the pandemic is unwinding. USAID programs are keeping kids in school, providing emergency food and hygiene assistance, helping people find work, preventing democratic backsliding, addressing gender-based violence, and tackling other devastating impacts of the pandemic.
USAID is committed to building back a better world, one that is better prepared to prevent, detect, and respond to future biological threats, and where all people can live safe, prosperous, and healthy lives. — USAID COVID-19 Task Force Director Jeremy Konyndyk
Resources
- USAID COVID-19 fact sheets
- USAID COVID-19 guidance for implementing partners
- American Rescue Plan
- U.S. Global Response and Recovery Framework
- COVID-19 Safety Plan & Workplace Guidelines (January, 2022)
- CDC COVID-19 information
- Get involved
The spread of COVID-19 has shown that an infectious disease threat anywhere can be a threat everywhere. USAID is dedicated to ending this pandemic for everyone, everywhere.
LATEST UPDATES
USAID Operating Status
Last updated: January 20, 2022
Today, Administrator Samantha Power met with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva to discuss how USAID and the IMF can enhance coordination and collaboration around the world to increase vaccination rates and end the COVID-19 pandemic.
On December 20, Administrator Samantha Power met with Japanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs Suzuki Takako. Administrator Power thanked State Minister Suzuki for Japan’s leadership and commitments at the 2021 Nutrition for Growth Summit and for its ongoing support to COVAX and the global COVID-19 response. Administrator Power and Minister Suzuki discussed the importance of accelerating efforts to turn COVID-19 vaccines into vaccinations through expanded vaccine readiness and delivery support. They also discussed collaboration on addressing critical development needs in Central America and, through the US-Japan-Australia Trilateral Infrastructure Partnership, on mobilizing infrastructure investment in the Indo-Pacific.
The United States delivered an additional 820,000 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses to the Ministry of Health, increasing the total U.S. donation to 3.4 million jabs from the American people.
Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) held a capstone event to mark the achievements made by its Local Health System Sustainability (LHSS) COVID-19 response activity. LHSS, which was implemented by Abt Associates Incorporated., and launched at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020. The LHSS activity supported a coordinated national emergency response led by the Ministry of Health and helped build the resilience of the health system against future shocks.
This week, USAID Administrator Samantha Power held a series of high-level meetings with key United States and world health experts to discuss the recently announced whole-of-government effort, the Initiative for Global Vaccine Access (Global VAX). Vaccinating the world is the best way to save lives, prevent future variants that threaten the health of communities around the world, including Americans, and undermine the global economic recovery. As more vaccine supply flows to low and middle income countries, the United States is redoubling efforts to help countries efficiently and effectively receive, distribute, and administer doses. Global VAX focuses on accelerating global efforts to get shots in arms —particularly in sub-Saharan Africa—and to enhance international coordination to rapidly overcome barriers to vaccine delivery.
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