Blinken: Η νόσος covid-19 δεν είναι μόνο μια κρίση υγείας, αλλά και κρίση ασφάλειας, οικονομικής, ανθρωπιστικής και αναπτυξιακής

Η COVID-19 δεν είναι μόνο μια κρίση υγείας, αλλά μια κρίση ασφάλειας, οικονομικής, ανθρωπιστικής και αναπτυξιακής κρίσης. Καλώ τους ομολόγους μου να εκπληρώσουν και να ενισχύσουν τις δεσμεύσεις τους για την καταπολέμηση της πανδημίας. Πρέπει να συνεργαστούμε, και πρέπει να δράσουμε γρήγορα, για να τερματίσουμε αυτή την πανδημία, επισημαίνει σε δήλωσή του ο Antony  Blinken, Υπουργός Εξωτερικών των ΗΠΑ. Όπως υπογραμμίζει ο κόσμος βρίσκεται σε ένα κρίσιμο σημείο της παγκόσμιας απάντησής μας σε αυτόν τον ιό. Οι Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες προσπάθησαν να κινητοποιήσουν την παγκόσμια συλλογική δράση με το δικό μας παράδειγμα και ηγεσία και είναι κρίσιμο οι άλλες κυβερνήσεις να εκπληρώσουν τις δεσμεύσεις τους και να υποστηρίξουν όσους βρίσκονται στην πρώτη γραμμή αυτής της πανδημίας. Σημειώνεται ότι έχει προγραμματισθεί σήμερα συνάντηση του με τους υπουργούς Εξωτερικών για να συζητήσουμε και να συντονίσουμε πώς αντιμετωπίζουμε την παραλλαγή του Omicron, όπως σημειώνει. Αναλυτικά η ανακοίνωση στο πρωτότυπο:

 
Supporting Multilateral Responses to the COVID-19 Crisis

The United States is providing an additional $580 million from the American Rescue Plan Act to support seven partners who are working tirelessly in our global fight against COVID-19.  With the emergence of the Omicron variant, and continued challenges like equitable access to life-saving care and vaccines, the world is at a critical point in our global response to this virus.  The United States has sought to galvanize global collective action with our own example and leadership, and it is critical that other governments fulfill their commitments and support those on the frontline of this pandemic.

To date, the United States has shared over 330 million safe and effective vaccine doses to more than 110 countries and economies worldwide.  The United States Government is providing more than $19.6 billion for life-saving health, economic, and humanitarian COVID-19 assistance to our partners to fight this virus and its impacts.  These funds are delivering shots in arms, lifesaving supplies to hospitals, and support that reaches most vulnerable communities.

Earlier this month, President Biden accelerated our efforts to fight this pandemic, promising to deliver 200 million vaccine doses in the next 100 days.  Since his announcement, we have shared more than 50 million doses.  While we know vaccines are a critical aspect to help end this pandemic, we also need to work with our partners to increase testing and surveillance, get life-saving equipment and resources to those most in need, and ensure that the most vulnerable have access to vaccination sites.  The rapid spread of the Omicron variant reinforces that we must all continue to accelerate our efforts to end this pandemic and that none of us are safe until all of us are safe.  This is a global pandemic that requires global solutions.

This additional $580 million is a significant contribution to turn vaccines into vaccinations; strengthen public health capacity; support communities in need, and provide urgent, life-saving relief.  Multilateral organizations are playing an indispensable role in these efforts, and with this additional $580 million, the United States is supporting seven such partners to continue and accelerate the critical work they are doing to help end the pandemic, strengthen public health capacity, and provide urgent relief.

This funding includes:

• $280 million for the World Health Organization (WHO), including $50 million for the Contingency Fund for Emergencies, to help contain the spread of COVID-19, particularly through surveillance and laboratory testing, and support the continuity of essential health services and systems, especially for individuals most at risk;
• $170 million to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to expand its efforts to deliver COVID-19 vaccines around the world including to high-risk and vulnerable populations, provide critical COVID-19 commodities, such as Personal Protective Equipment and oxygen equipment, and support education needs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic;
• $75 million to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to provide technical cooperation to support implementation and monitoring of COVID-19 vaccinations in the Americas;
• $20 million to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to help address the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19, including through programs for providing employment services and livelihood support;
• $20 million for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to support its efforts to protect health workers and provide women with safe reproductive and maternal health care to mitigate higher rates of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity related to COVID-19;
• $10 million to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to support its efforts to improve health surveillance, early warning, and risk assessment tools for zoonotic diseases; and
• $5 million to UN Women to assist their efforts to support women and girls, in all their diversity, during the COVID-19 crisis, including a focus on programs to prevent and respond to gender-based violence.

These resources reflect the deep commitment of the United States and the American people to a healthier, more secure world, in keeping with President Biden’s commitment to elevate our global ambition to end the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022.

Later today I will host a meeting with foreign ministers to discuss and coordinate how we are addressing the Omicron variant.  COVID-19 is not only a health crisis, but a security, economic, humanitarian and development crisis.  I call on my counterparts to fulfill and bolster their commitments in fighting the pandemic.  We must work together, and we must act quickly, to end this pandemic.

 
Secretary Blinken’s Virtual Meeting with Foreign Ministers Regarding the Omicron Variant 

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met virtually with several foreign ministers and representatives of regional organizations involved in the response to the Omicron variant today. They exchanged information to better understand the Omicron variant, coordinate a global response, and accelerate efforts to combat COVID-19.

Secretary Blinken reiterated the United States’ appreciation to scientists from South Africa and Botswana, as well as others, who quickly identified the new variant and shared samples and data, noting that this type of transparency is core to our collective global health security.

The ministers were briefed on initial scientific findings of the variant’s severity, transmissibility, and existing treatments and vaccines.  They discussed regional impacts of the Omicron variant and policy responses going forward.  The Secretary noted that the emergence of variants underscores the urgent need to accelerate efforts to end the COVID-19 pandemic, and called on partners to redouble international and domestic efforts.

Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to partner with countries and organizations to end the pandemic in 2022, which includes the U.S. Initiative for Global Vaccine Access (Global VAX) as our whole of government effort to speeding shots into arms and reflects a U.S. commitment of over $1.6 billion to date.  To further this effort, the Secretary announced $580 million in new funds for seven multilateral partners to support the critical work they are doing to help end the pandemic, strengthen public health capacity, and provide urgent relief, bringing the total of U.S. health and humanitarian assistance to combat COVID-19 to more than $19.6 billion.  The Secretary also shared that the United States has now provided over 330 million vaccine doses in partnership with COVAX or bilaterally, as part of our 1.2 billion dose commitment.

 
Ανανέωση ανάρτησης 19:10