US' COVID-19 aid to Pakistan surpasses 50m vaccine doses

• US delivers 4.7 million Pfizer vaccine doses to Pakistan.
• Latest tranche of vaccines brings total doses donated to Pakistan to over 52 million.
• US diplomat says they will continue efforts for improving infection prevention and control in Pakistan. 

ISLAMABAD: The number of COVID-19 vaccine doses donated to Pakistan by the United States crossed the 50 million mark this week, demonstrating Washington's commitment to delivering the life-saving vaccine to the people of Pakistan, The News reported.

With an additional 4.7 million Pfizer doses shipped to Pakistan this week, the US-donated vaccines to the country have now exceeded 52 million, said Angela P. Aggeler, Chargé d'affaires at the US Embassy in Islamabad.

Aggeler said that being the single largest contributor in support of COVAX efforts, the US will continue its work to improve infection prevention and control and enhance patient care in Pakistan. She said that the US is also supporting Pakistan to expand its capacity to deal with diseases in the future.

The efforts show US' commitment to improving Pakistan's national health infrastructure, she added.

“I especially congratulate the Government of Pakistan for administering a record-breaking 2 million vaccines in one day and 187.9 million vaccines overall,” Aggeler added.

“With these remarkable efforts, the United States and Pakistan can make real progress together in addressing the scourge of COVID-19 across the globe.”

In addition to Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the US has also provided Pakistan with more than 1.2 million N95 masks, 96,000 surgical masks, 52,000 protective goggles, one million COVID-19 rapid diagnostic tests, 1,200 pulse oximeters, and 200 ventilators for 64 Pakistani hospitals.

The US government also trained over 30,000 female health workers across Pakistan on home-based care for COVID-19 patients and established a national network of disease surveillance and response units and teams. This is all part of the nearly $70 million the US government has donated to assist the Pakistani people in the fight against COVID-19.