USAID to provide $2bn to propel global access to Covid vaccines

US President Joe Biden has announced that the United States intends to provide an initial amount of $2 billion, out of a total of planned $4 billion, to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to support the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment to provide Covid-19 vaccines for 92 low- and middle-income countries.

Through the US Agency for International Development, this contribution will support the purchase and delivery of safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines for the world's most vulnerable and at-risk populations, including frontline healthcare workers.

This support is critical to controlling the pandemic and slowing the emergence of new variants as well as helping restart the global economy, all of which will ultimately benefit the American people, said the US Embassy in Dhaka on Saturday.

The US government will provide additional funding through 2022 and will work with other donors to make further pledges and commitments to meet the critical needs of the Gavi COVAX AMC, said USAID Acting Administrator Gloria Steele.

The Biden-Harris Administration has made it clear that their goal is to vaccinate vulnerable populations and reach those without other options, while working with our partners and governments around the world to ensure that no one is alone.