Zimbabwe has received a provisional country allocation of up to $150 million for Covid-19 Response from the United States through its American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA).
In total, the US government contributed US$3.5 billion to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria (under the Global Fund) COVID-19 Response Mechanism (C19RM), as part of its broader global Covid-19 response and recovery strategy.
These funds are to support the Global Fund’s second phase of C19RM, which seeks to alleviate the effects of the novel coronavirus on its AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria programmes and to strengthen health and community systems.
“The Global Fund has allocated US$75 to 150 million to Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe can secure the funds through an evidence-based grant proposal to run from 2021 to 2022 to respond to the devastating Covid-19 pandemic and mitigate the impact of the pandemic in the fight against HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and strengthen health and community systems,” said the US embassy in Harare in a press statement.
The base allocation of US$75 million amounts to 15 percent of Zimbabwe’s 2021 to 2023 Global Fund allocation.
“Zimbabwe can apply for an additional US$75 million, and the funds should be used by December 31, 2023,” said the US Embassy.
The resources harnessed under the ARPA and disbursed through the Global Fund will provide funds to countries for:
“Covid-19 control and containment interventions, such as personal protective equipment, diagnostics, treatment, communications, and other measures as specified by the World Health Organisation;
“Covid-19-related risk mitigation measures for programs to fight the three diseases of AIDS, TB, and malaria; and
“Strengthening of health and community systems, including support to key aspects of health systems, such as laboratory networks, supply chains, and community-led response systems,” said the US embassy.
Working closely with the government of Zimbabwe and health development partners, the C19RM funds complement existing funding sources, such as World Bank, World Health Organisation, other UN Agencies, bilateral assistance, and individual US government agencies, such as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), US Agency for International Development (USAID), and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
So far, the US embassy has provided over US$20 million in support of the Covid-19 response in Zimbabwe.
“The United States Government remains committed to working together with the Government of Zimbabwe, through the Ministry of Health and Child Care, multilateral organisations, partner governments, and civil society organizations, to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and other public health threats, for Zimbabweans to live safer, healthier, and longer lives,” said the US Embassy.
Meanwhile, as at June 9, 2021, Zimbabwe has recorded 39 432 people who were infected with Covid-19.
Out of that 36 917 people have recovered while 1 622 have died.
However, the Ministry of Health and Child Care noted there was an increase in Covid-19 cases over the last seven days with the highest peak of 111 cases reported on the day.
To date, a total of 689 920 people have been vaccinated with the first dose while another 394 063 have been fully vaccinated.
