TIRANA, March 21 /ATA/ – The Embassy of the United States in Tirana said Sunday that the United States has announced an initial $2 billion—out of a total planned $4 billion— to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment, to ensure that Albania and other countries receive COVID-19 vaccines.
The US Embassy said in a post on social networks that this contribution makes the United States the single largest contributor to the international response to COVID-19.
“The U.S. contributions to COVAX, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will support the purchase and delivery of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines for the world’s most vulnerable and at-risk populations in 92 low- and middle-income countries. This support is critical to controlling the pandemic, slowing the emergence of new variants, and helping to restart the global economy. As Secretary Blinken said, “Unless and until everyone in the world is vaccinated, then no one is really fully safe,” US Embassy said in a statement.
The Embassy also said that the United States has worked closely with Albanian stakeholders throughout the duration of the pandemic to strengthen the response to COVID-19. To date, total U.S. government COVID-19 assistance to the Albania has amounted to more than $2 million, including assistance in building capacity & strengthening infrastructure, donating COVID test kits, much-needed control and prevention equipment, providing transportation for contact tracing teams, donating personal protective equipment to border police, delivering American-made ventilators, and much more.
/u.sh/
