Islamabad, April 17, 2020: In a video message released today on the U.S. Mission to Pakistan’s social media platforms, Ambassador Paul Jones discussed several new ways that the United States is partnering with Pakistan to combat coronavirus.
With more than $8 million in new contributions, the United States is collaborating with the Government of Pakistan to help stop the spread of coronavirus nationwide and to care for afflicted people. All of these contributions were identified as top priority needs by the Pakistani authorities, and they are fully paid for by the American people.
This funding will be utilized for a number of activities, including:
- Providing three new mobile labs so Pakistanis living in virus hotspots can be tested, treated, and monitored to stop the spread, through $3 million in contributions.
- Funding high-tech emergency operations centers in Islamabad, Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan with $1 million.
- Expanding our partnership with $2 million to train community healthcare workers to assist people in their homes to lessen the burden on hospitals.
- Conducting life-saving activities in Afghan refugee and host communities in Pakistan with $2.4 million, administered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
“What I’ve described today is the latest chapter in a long, vibrant U.S.-Pakistan health partnership. It builds on U.S. contributions over the past 20 years of more than $1.1 billion in the health sector, and more than $18.4 billion overall to the U.S.-Pakistan development partnership. Together, we can stop the spread of this deadly disease to protect our loved ones and regain our prosperity and freedom,” said U.S. Ambassador Paul W. Jones.
Ambassador Jones’ message, with both English and Urdu subtitles, is available to download here, and the full English and Urdu scripts are attached to this press release.
