KABUL - The US government has obligated $18 million to support the provision of medical oxygen across 11 affected countries, including Afghanistan.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) said its funding would also benefit the Republics of Bolivia, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, Haïti, Honduras, Kenya, Mozambique, Perú and Tajikistan.
Supplemental oxygen is an essential, life-saving treatment for people ill with COVID-19, according to a USAID statement.
The funds will be used to purchase and distribute oxygen-generating equipment and related consumables and durables, and finance technical assistance to train health workers to use them.
The leading-edge equipment, technology and assistance provided by this funding builds upon the more than $1.6 billion the US Department of State and USAID have already committed to the global fight against the novel coronavirus.
The US will provide the $18 million in new funding for oxygen during 2021 in coordination with host-country governments and other key stakeholders to promote the sustainability of this investment.
Since 2009, American taxpayers generously have funded more than $100 billion in health assistance, and nearly $70 billion in humanitarian assistance around the world. (Pajhwok)