THE United Kingdom has agreed to contribute three million pounds (US$3.8m) to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to help eight countries of the Caribbean – Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines – contain the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and mitigate its impact.
The financial contribution from the UK's Department for International Development (DFID) is in addition to the USD$9.9m already provided by the UK Government via the World Health Organization (WHO) allocations to support PAHO's response strategy to COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean, as outlined in its donor appeal.
The funds from DFID will assist Caribbean countries to access critical medical equipment and other urgent supplies for the immediate health response to COVID-19.
With funds from DFID, PAHO will support a coherent public health response that addresses the most pressing needs of the benefiting countries, and ensure strong coordination and management as well as information-sharing arrangements with other UN and regional/bilateral agencies to maximise impact and eliminate potential duplication.
PAHO, as the specialised health agency in the Americas, and the regional office of WHO are providing critical leadership, coordination and assistance to fight the spread of COVID-19, save lives, and protect the most vulnerable peoples in all 52 countries and territories of the Americas.
