SUVA -- The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has donated 50 brand-new, state-of-the-art ventilators to Fiji, Kiribati, and Nauru to assist their fight against COVID-19.
U.S. Ambassador to Fiji, Nauru and Kiribati Joseph Cella said, “The United States of America continues to lead the global response to this financially devastating and cruel plague, allocating nearly $21 billion in the global fight against it. This donation from the American people will boost these countries’ health care preparedness capacity to respond with such treatment should any such cases of the plague arise. These ventilators, along with the other U.S. government development assistance in the region, represents our strong partnership and cooperation as Pacific neighbors, allies, and partners to overcome this plague together.”
While Kiribati and Nauru remain among the countries in the region without confirmed COVID-19 cases, the U.S. government is working closely with local partners to rapidly scale up preparedness and response efforts to prepare for this looming threat as well as provide this life-saving equipment that can be used for other activities to address this unprecedented global health crisis.
These life-saving ventilators, manufactured in the United States, employ cutting-edge technology. Ventilators are used in intensive care units to support individuals whose lungs are not working adequately to get oxygen. In addition to the ventilators, USAID is funding tailored packages of support that includes clinical training for the frontline health workers to safely use and maintain the ventilators.
Theses ventilators are in addition to the U.S. government’s $24.2 million investment to help Pacific island countries manage risk communication, prevent and control infectious diseases in health facilities, and support logistics and coordination efforts to address this unprecedented global health crisis.
For decades, the United States has been the world’s largest provider of bilateral assistance in health. Over the past 20 years, the United States has invested over $5.21 billion in assistance to the Pacific islands. Over the last decade, the United States has invested more than $620 million for health in the Pacific Islands.