BARBADOS — The United States is mobilizing all necessary resources to respond rapidly to the COVID-19 pandemic, both at home and abroad.
A total of $1.7 million will be made available to governments in the Eastern Caribbean, which will assist countries in the region to scale up their risk communication efforts, water and sanitation, prevent and control infections, manage COVID-19 cases, strengthen laboratories, and surveil the spread of the virus.
This builds upon decades of U.S. investment in the Caribbean, including more than $236 million in health assistance over the past 20 years.
This is part of a comprehensive response, as the U.S. government leads the world’s humanitarian and health assistance in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The State Department and USAID are providing an initial investment of nearly $274 million in emergency health and humanitarian assistance to help countries in need, on top of the funding already provided to multilateral organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.
This assistance is part of a larger U.S. government global response package across multiple departments and agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The United States continues to be the single largest health and humanitarian donor for both long-term development and capacity building efforts with partners, and emergency response efforts in the face of recurrent crises. This money has saved lives, protected people who are most vulnerable to disease, built health institutions, and promoted the stability of communities and nations.
For more information on the U.S. global response, please go to: