Visiting US Deputy Assistant Secretary Barbara Feinstein yesterday announced plans for US$1.5m in urgent COVID-19 assistance through USAID for countries in the Caribbean including The Bahamas, Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
A statement from the US Embassy said she made the disclosure during her meeting with Prime Minister Mark Phillips who is performing the functions of President.
The assistance will be focused on helping with vaccine deployment and readiness, and includes efforts to address vaccine hesitancy and combat vaccine mis- and dis-information. The additional support will aid with community vaccination campaigns and engagement activities, bolster the cold chain environment, train healthcare workers and develop regional and country specific campaigns to increase vaccine uptake, the statement said.
The efforts will be implemented through local, regional and international organizations such as the Ministries of Health, non-governmental organizations, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), UNICEF, and the USAID Country Health Information Systems and Data Use (CHISU) project implemented by JSI Research and Training Institute, Inc.
US Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch remarked, “The United States Government is committed to assisting the government and people of Guyana on the road to recovery after the devastation of COVID-19.”
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Regional Representative for the Eastern and Southern Caribbean, Clinton. D. White, said, “The funding will fill key gaps to accelerate COVID-19 vaccine uptake, and strengthen countries’ preparedness for future pandemic threats.”
The statement said that USAID has provided nearly US$63 million in COVID-19 assistance to the Caribbean since the beginning of the pandemic to address health, humanitarian, and economic impacts. This encompasses over US$7 million for partner countries in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean region. In addition to the over 300,000 vaccine doses from the US Government to Guyana, USAID’s partnership with the Ministry of Health, Guyana has included prevention and vaccination messaging reaching nearly 70 percent of the population, distribution of critical hygiene and prevention supplies in indigenous communities.
