These critically needed supplies aim to support Vietnam’s urgent response to the pandemic. The handover ceremony was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink, USAID/Vietnam Mission Director Michael Greene, Acting Minister of Health Dr. Nguyen Thanh Long and National Lung Hospital Director Dr. Nguyen Viet Nhung.
The ventilators, produced in the U.S., reflect leading-edge and in-demand technology. They are compact, deployable, and provide Vietnam with flexibility in treating patients affected by the virus. For patients whose lungs are not working adequately despite receiving oxygen, this vital resource may prove life-saving.
“The world is impressed by Vietnam’s strategy and proactive measures in tackling COVID-19,” said Ambassador Kritenbrink, “but this serious disease remains a threat in Vietnam and the world. Building on the strong relationship between our countries over the last 25 years, the U.S. Government is pleased to support our friends in Vietnam with this donation of ventilators to fight the coronavirus.”
In addition to the ventilators, the U.S. Government, through USAID, has committed $9.5 million to Vietnam in response to the pandemic, which is helping to strengthen clinical care, disseminate health messages, build laboratory capacity, improve disease surveillance, as well as support private sector recovery by mitigating the impact of the pandemic on the Vietnamese economy.
For decades, the U.S. has been the world's largest provider of bilateral assistance in health. Since 2009, American taxpayers have generously funded more than $100 billion in health assistance and nearly $70 billion in humanitarian assistance worldwide. In Vietnam, over the past 20 years, the U.S. has invested more than $706 million in health assistance and more than $1.8 billion in total assistance.
Through an All-of-America approach, the U.S. is providing life-saving support by coordinating with the Government of Vietnam and other stakeholders to identify priority areas for investment. Because an infectious-disease threat anywhere can become a threat everywhere, the United States calls on other donors to contribute to the global effort to combat COVID-19.
Reported by Song Anh