GAVI to disburse $29 mln to help COVID fight in 13 countries

The GAVI vaccine alliance will disburse $29 million to help health systems in 13 lower-income countries fight COVID-19, it said on Thursday, part of a $200 million program approved by its board last month.

The Geneva-based public-private global health partnership said the first recipients are Myanmar, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi, Afghanistan, Sudan, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Timor-Leste, Guinea-Bissau, Tajikistan, Bhutan, and Liberia.

Roughly 39% of the initial amount will be spent on protective equipment for health workers, with the rest going for diagnostic tests and to boost disease surveillance, spokesman James Fulker said.