USA donates 18 freezer trucks for vaccine delivery in Bangladesh
The United States has donated 18 trucks to help Bangladesh establish a dedicated fleet of specialised cold-chain vehicles to deliver Covid-19 vaccines across the country, reports UNB.
US acting deputy chief of mission (DCM), William Dowers and US Agency for International Development (USAID) mission director, Kathryn Stevens handed over the brand new freezer trucks to health and family welfare minister Zahid Maleque as part of the ongoing US support to the Covid-19 vaccination campaign in Bangladesh.
USAID purchased four trucks on the local market with an additional 14 vehicles to arrive in the coming months, said the US Embassy in Dhaka.
The total US government Covid-19 assistance to Bangladesh exceeds $121 million.
USAID partnered with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) and Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, the agencies that will oversee the procurement of these vehicles and support the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to roll out Covid-19 vaccinations across the country.
“We hope to sustain the impressive momentum Bangladesh has made in turning the tide against the pandemic. Through our work, we are helping to get more people vaccinated so they can protect themselves and their loved ones, and return to more normal lives,” said acting DCM Dowers.
The US government has donated 15 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines and contributed over $121 million to fight the pandemic through USAID, the US Department of Defence, the US Department of State, and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
This assistance has saved lives and treated individuals infected with Covid-19, supported the national vaccination campaign, strengthened testing capacity and monitoring, enhanced case management and infection prevention and control practices, and improved the supply chain and logistics management systems.
The US support also protects front line workers and increases the public’s knowledge about Covid-19, including ways to protect themselves.
The United States has donated $4 billion to support the worldwide COVAX effort, which includes support for ultra-cold chain storage, transportation, and safe handling of Covid-19 vaccines, making the United States the world’s largest donor for equitable global Covid-19 vaccine access.