Today, the United States provided additional COVID-19 supplies worth more than $1.5 million (49.5 million baht) to help Thailand fight COVID-19.
The Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Thailand, Michael Heath, handed over COVID-19 diagnostic and vaccine delivery supplies to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health, Anutin Charnvirakul, today at the Ministry of Public Health. The supplies provided on behalf of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) include reagents for Real-Time RT-PCR diagnostic tests, next generation sequencing for variant detection, vaccine delivery supplies, and personal protective equipment.
“Our support reflects a sustained effort by the United States and the Royal Thai Governments to work in close partnership to mitigate the pandemic’s impact. These medical supplies from the American people will help support health care workers and vaccine delivery, getting shots into arms to protect high risk populations and vulnerable communities as Thailand responds to the most recent wave of COVID-19,” said Chargé d’Affaires Heath.
This assistance will extend delivery of safe and effective vaccines to highest risk populations, reducing severe illness and hospitalizations resulting from COVID-19. Additional support for diagnostic tests and related equipment will aid efforts to slow transmission, enable robust variant tracking, and enhance the Royal Thai Government’s response to the pandemic.
To date, USAID has provided more than $12.4 million (409 million baht) in COVID-19 assistance, complementing the delivery by the United States of 2.5 million doses of safe, effective mRNA vaccines to the Royal Thai Government and tens of millions of dollars in other U.S. Government-provided COVID-19 support to Thailand. Over the last decade, USAID has provided sustained support to boost Thailand’s diagnostic capacity for emerging infectious diseases of pandemic potential. At the inception of the pandemic, more than a decade of USAID support in partnership with Thailand for detection of emerging viruses contributed to Thailand’s confirmation of the first traveler-imported COVID-19 case. USAID also provided personal protective equipment for Thai health workers; reached more than 117,000 migrants and persons from high-risk communities with vital COVID-19 information; and strengthened diagnostic and testing surge capacity.
This latest round of COVID-19 support builds upon U.S Government assistance to Thailand of more than $1 billion (33 billion baht) over the past 20 years, which includes nearly $212 million (seven billion baht) for health. The United States is committed to partnering with Thailand to end the COVID-19 pandemic, mitigate the devastating social and economic impacts, and build back a world that is better prepared for future outbreaks.
