The United States Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has donated, on July 29, a second shipment of 200 brand new, state-of-the-art ventilators to Brazil to assist its fight against COVID-19. The donation delivers on President Trump’s generous offer of these critically needed supplies to assist with Brazil’s urgent response to the pandemic.
The ventilators, produced in the United States, reflect leading-edge and in-demand technology. They are compact, deployable, and provide Brazil with flexibility in treating patients affected by the virus. For patients whose lungs are not working adequately despite receiving oxygen, this vital resource may prove life-saving.
Ambassador Chapman highlighted the initiative: “We continue to deliver on the agenda President Trump set to strengthen our relationship with Brazil. With now this second shipment of 200 ventilators, we are delivering on the promise by President Trump. These ventilators are intended to assist those Brazilians who need them most.”
USAID is funding a tailored package of additional support, which includes service and warranty, as well as accessories such as monitoring equipment, tubes, filters. This donation builds on the more than US$ 15 million that the U.S. Government has committed to Brazil in response to the pandemic, and approximately US$ 55 million from U.S. companies in Brazil.
Other U.S. Government-funded efforts include emergency activities in health, water, sanitation, and hygiene immediate support to vulnerable communities in the Amazon, including risk-communications and community engagement, the prevention and control of infections in health facilities, water and sanitation, and disease-surveillance and rapid response; support for refugees and host communities as they deal with the pandemic; and incentives to the private sector to address the non-health impacts of the disease on rural and vulnerable urban populations. On July 21, the U.S. Government, though the Department of Defense, announced to donate a field hospital in Bacanal, a city 240 km from São Luís, Maranhão, which will have 40 beds, stretchers, air conditioners, cleaning supplies and power generators. In addition to the hospital structure and supplies, the U.S. will donate US$ 50,000 in kits with personal hygiene products and US$ 50,000 in foods baskets to the state of Maranhão.
For decades, the United States has been the world’s largest provider of bilateral assistance in health. Since 2009, American taxpayers have generously funded more than $100 billion in health assistance and nearly $70 billion in humanitarian assistance.
Through an All-of-America approach, the United States is providing life-saving support by coordinating with the Government of Brazil and other stakeholders to identify priority areas for investment. Because an infectious-disease threat anywhere can become a threat everywhere, the United States calls on other donors to contribute to the global effort to combat COVID-19.
For the ventilators delivery images, see our Flickr: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmP4kNdN
For more information about USAID’s response to COVID-19, please visit: https://www.usaid.gov/coronavirus-covid-19
Follow Ambassador Chapman @USAmbBr and follow us on our website, and our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Flickr accounts.
For further information on this Media Note, please contact the U.S. Embassy Press Office in Brasília at BrasiliaEMBEUA@state.gov or on (+55 61) 3312 – 7367 / 7364.
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