The United States government through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is committing funds to support South Africa’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic with a new tranche of global health funding of $13,200,000 (R250,000,000).
This brings this total United States government commitment to the COVID-19 response in South Africa to over $21.5 million (R410 million).
These initial CDC resources will be used for: Surveillance and lab support for the Government of South Africa and other partners; Expanding CDC operational support; Support for infection prevention and control; Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs); Border health and vaccine preparedness; and Special studies related to COVID-19 in South Africa to both improve the response in country and to inform best practices around the globe.
This latest injection of assistance is in addition to the approximately $8.4 million (nearly R160 million) in health assistance to support South Africa’s COVID-19 response already committed through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID’s funding is supporting work in strategic information, risk communication, water and sanitation, infection prevention and control, supply chain strengthening for COVID-19 commodities, and public health messaging.
It is an honor for the United States to partner in South Africa’s campaign to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, just as we have stood side-by-side with South Africa for 17 years in the campaign to control the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
This funding announcement builds upon decades of U.S. government leadership as the world’s most generous provider of bilateral assistance in global health. Since 2009, American taxpayers have generously contributed globally more than $170 billion dollars (R3.2 trillion) in health and humanitarian assistance. In South Africa alone, through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the United States has invested more than R80 billion over the course of our 17-year partnership with South Africa.