Saifullah

ISLAMABAD: The United States was pleased to donate three million doses of the life-saving Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to the Government of Pakistan for distribution to the Pakistani people.  These vaccines were delivered in partnership with the COVAX facility and UNICEF.

This donation is part of the 80 million doses the United States is sharing with the world, delivering on our pledge to facilitate equitable global access to safe and effective vaccines, which are essential to ending the COVID-19 pandemic.  As President Biden has said, the United States is committed to bringing the same urgency to international vaccination efforts that we have demonstrated at home, says a press statement issued by the US Embassy here Thursday.

“We are here today because we share a common goal – supporting access to COVID-19 vaccines for the populations that need them the most,” said U.S. Embassy Chargé d’affaires Angela P. Aggeler.

“The arrival of these three million doses is in addition to the 2.5 million doses the United States donated earlier this month to the people of Pakistan.  These vaccines, which come from our own domestic vaccine supply, are a clear demonstration of President Biden’s promise – and our promises kept – to stand with the people of Pakistan in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The United States has delivered more than $50 million in COVID-19 assistance through our partnership with the Government of Pakistan.  Since the start of the pandemic, the United States has worked together with Pakistan to improve infection prevention and control, enhance patient care, expand laboratory testing, disease monitoring, and case tracking in all districts, and support frontline healthcare workers. 

Earlier this month, the U.S. government provided 2.5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine to the Pakistani people, for a total of 5.5 million doses from the United States’ own vaccine supply. 

Separately, the United States through USAID has contributed $2 billion to support COVAX, making the United States the single largest contributor to global COVID-19 vaccine access.  Pakistan has received 2.4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine since May as part of the COVAX effort. 

Islamabad: The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation, and Coordination, the National Disaster Management Authority, and the High Commission of Canada held a handover ceremony at the Prime Minister’s Office on July 29, 2021, for the donation of medical ventilators from Canada to Pakistan. In response to a request by the Government of Pakistan, Canada delivered 162 ventilators and related medical supplies via a Royal Canadian Air Force flight on June 27, 2021. The ventilators will be distributed based on the specific needs identified by the Government of Pakistan.

Canada is proud to continue to work with the Government of Pakistan and partners towards a coordinated response to COVID-19 and to build on its longstanding partnership to improve health systems and service delivery in Pakistan. Today’s contribution is part of Canada’s continued support to Pakistan’s COVID-19 response since the beginning of the pandemic, which, up to this point, includes about $16 million to support strengthening surveillance, lab testing, health worker training and other essential activities, as well as Canada’s broader support to countries, including Pakistan, through global health partnerships.  Canada’s support for COVID-19 response has been targeted to those most in need, particularly women and girls who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

At the global level, Canada is providing $545 million to the COVAX Facility for vaccine procurement, distribution, and delivery in 92 countries, including Pakistan, and is supporting UNICEF to provide additional medical supplies to Pakistan, in part through a $230 million contribution to the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, announced in December 2020.

Additionally, Canada recently announced new support through the World Health Organization (WHO) to help strengthen and improve the resilience of primary and essential health care service delivery in ten countries, including Pakistan.

“Canada values its partnership with Pakistan to promote strengthened health systems, and more recently in the ongoing fight against COVID-19. Today’s contribution builds on this collaboration and will help ensure essential medical services are available to the most vulnerable, including women and girls, when and where they need them.”

Wendy Gilmour, the High Commissioner of Canada to Pakistan.