Kenya: USAID announces USD50 million for Kenya to tackle COVID-19 challenges

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced USD50 million to support Kenya's response and recovery efforts to meet the immediate and longer-term challenges of COVID-19, according to a news report by U.S Embassy in Kenya.

"The American people have always been generous to those in need around the world, and today Kenya is facing the compound challenges of COVID-19, flooding, and locusts. We are focusing on ensuring resources get to the counties and communities because Kenya's communities are Kenya's greatest asset in overcoming these challenges," stated U.S. Ambassador, Kyle L. McCarter.

.@USAID has announced $50M to support Kenya's response and recovery efforts to meet the immediate and longer-term challenges that COVID-19 is posing. U.S. funds directly benefit Kenyans. Read more: https://t.co/bKeOOZn3L0 @USAIDKenya

— U.S. Embassy Nairobi (@USEmbassyKenya) July 1, 2020

"U.S. funds directly benefit Kenyans. We partner with the Kenyan government, NGOs, civil society, and local organizations and institutions to support the Kenyan people. The U.S. requires our partners to adhere to rigorous reporting requirements and standards," stated USAID Mission Director, Mark Meassick.

Till now, more than 1,600 health workers have been trained in 35 counties; 272,000 Ministry of Health posters on the prevention and symptoms of COVID-19 were printed and distributed across 23 high-risk counties; personal protective equipment (PPE) was repurposed from the Ebola outbreak response to protect health care workers; labs are being provided diagnostic and capacity-building support to meet the ever-increasing testing demand, and three water service providers were assessed and contingency plans developed to increase the chances that their operations will not discontinue.