For Immediate Release

Office of Press Relations
press@usaid.gov

Press Release

Male, Maldives — The U.S. donated 128,700 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines to Maldives as part of the United States’ global efforts to fight the COVID-10 pandemic. These vaccines, delivered through COVAX, will save lives and increase COVID-19 vaccination coverage essential to ending the pandemic.  These vaccines are a gift, provided entirely free to the Maldivian people.

“Vaccines are going to save lives, and, as part of the US partnership with Maldives, we support the government’s efforts to halt the spread of COVID-19 by safeguarding people through vaccination.” said Alaina Teplitz, the U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives. “In coordination with the Maldivian Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and other global COVAX partners, we are working to get safe and effective vaccines to as many people as possible, as soon as possible, to control the pandemic, slow new variants, and help restart the global economy.”

This vaccine delivery builds on the United States government’s ongoing leadership on global vaccination efforts as the world’s largest donor to COVAX. The 128,700 doses delivered to the Maldivian Government today are part of the United States’ commitment to providing equitable global access to safe and effective vaccines. As noted by the White House, “We are doing this with the singular objective of saving lives. We will continue to do all we can to build a world that is safer and more secure against the threat of infectious disease.”

COVAX is a platform that provides safe, effective, and high-quality WHO-authorized COVID-19 vaccines to countries around the world. As the global leader in public health assistance and the largest single donor supporting COVAX, the U.S. has already donated $2 billion to the program to combat the pandemic.

The United States has worked closely with Maldives throughout the pandemic to protect public health and support the Maldivian government’s response to the pandemic. To date, the U.S. has provided over $4.6 million in emergency supplies, training, and critical services, plus an in-kind donation of 60 ventilators. The U.S. worked with local organizations to expand COVID-19-related social protection services and implement a COVID safety awareness campaign. Additionally, the U.S. is supporting the Maldivian government in developing effective economic, fiscal, and monetary measures in response to the pandemic and for Maldives long-term economic recovery.

The U.S. is committed to leading the global response to this pandemic, not only because this will keep people safe, but because it is the right thing to do. These doses are delivered in coordination with COVAX, in partnership with Maldivian government. We are proud to partner with Maldives to build back a better world.

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FACT SHEET – U.S. RESPONSE TO COVID-19 IN MALDIVES

The United States and Maldives have worked closely together to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic since its outset. The United States has donated over 128,700 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to Maldives and committed $4.6 million to Maldives’ COVID-19 response and recovery, in addition to an in-kind donation of 60 portable ventilators. This assistance has reached across the islands and atolls of Maldives, providing life-saving treatments, strengthening clinical care, and mobilizing critical supplies to bolster response and help the country recover. Through this partnership, the U.S. has:

  • Donated 128,700 high-quality vaccines to Maldives. These are true donations that are provided entirely free of charge to the Maldivian people.
  • Donated $2 billion to the global COVAX facility, making the United States the world’s largest single donor supporting the global effort to provide equitable access to high-quality, WHO-authorized COVID-19 vaccines. COVAX has committed to donating an additional 113,850 vaccine doses to Maldives to cover around 20 percent of its population. Maldives received its first delivery of 17,850 doses of the vaccines from COVAX in March.
  • Provided urgently needed supplies to the Ministry of Health, including: Personal Protective Equipment consisting of 32,000 KN95 masks, 4,000 protective goggles, and 256,000 pairs of large, medium and small examination gloves. The U.S. also donated diagnostic tools, including 600 fingertip pulse oximeters to measure oxygen levels to determine whether a higher level of care is needed.
  • Donated 60 ventilators to 60 healthcare facilities designated by the Ministry of Health to treat COVID-19 patients in order to save lives and enhance the quality of immediate care for Maldivians suffering from the most severe symptoms of COVID-19.
  • Provided clinical training to 796 doctors and nurses from the 60 facilities specializing in COVID-19 case management. Trained 191 staff from 19 health facilities on ventilator use to expand the pool of healthcare professionals qualified to use this ventilator model.
  • Donated critical hygiene supplies that reached more than 76,000 students and 9,000 teachers in government schools and special needs care facilities.
  • Helped local civil society organizations expand COVID-19-related social protection services, which included COVID safety awareness campaigns.
  • Provided technical assistance to the Maldivian government to develop effective economic, fiscal, and monetary measures in response to the pandemic.

 

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U.S. donates 128,700 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines to Maldives
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