YANGON, U.S. Embassy in Berma -- The U.S. Government is proud to announce $90,000 worth of additional assistance to Myanmar to mitigate or prevent the spread of COVID-19.  In addition to the  $18.5 million in health and humanitarian funding specifically for COVID-19 in Myanmar from the U.S. Government to date, today Chargé d’Affaires George Sibley oversees the donation of $90,000 worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) on behalf of the U.S.  Department of Defense. This U.S. assistance to Myanmar during the COVID-19 pandemic  reflects the long-term U.S. commitment to improving the health of the Myanmar people. The United States is one of the largest bilateral donors to Myanmar’s COVID-19 response.

“As Myanmar, like the rest of the world, has focused on its public health response, with great success to date, the United States has been a steadfast partner and supporter, with more than $18.5 million in contributions to the COVID-19 response.  Today’s donation is part of a broad American effort to help provide life-saving support and combat COVID-19 here in Myanmar,” Chargé d’Affaires George Sibley said. “These contributions build on our longstanding commitment to Myanmar on health,” he added.

These protective supplies will complement more than $18.5 million in health and humanitarian funding from the American people.

Examples of U.S. government support for Myanmar’s COVID-19 response include:

A previous donation of 31,500 surgical masks, 1,500 each of face shields, face masks, gowns, and shoe covers, and 1,000 safety goggles, delivered to the Union Minister of Health and Sports through USAID on March 6.

Support through the multi-donor Access to Health fund, which has already supported 350 health facilities and community quarantine centers and facilitated reaching more than 135,000 people through community-based disease surveillance.

Support for the Myanmar National Health Laboratory’s testing of the first 3,000 samples and tracking of COVID-19 suspected and confirmed cases with USAID support to WHO in early March.

The United States has also provided test kits and supplies to Myanmar through USAID, the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (AFRIMS), a joint U.S.-Thai collaboration, and other donors to Myanmar’s National Health Laboratory. 

Today’s donation of PPE is supported by the Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid Appropriations (OHDACA) of the U.S. Department of Defense, and it is part of our broad-based commitment to health.