FACT SHEET – U.S. RESPONSE TO COVID-19 IN MALDIVES

The United States and Maldives have worked closely together to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic since its outset. The United States has donated over 128,700 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to Maldives and committed $4.6 million to Maldives’ COVID-19 response and recovery, in addition to an in-kind donation of 60 portable ventilators. This assistance has reached across the islands and atolls of Maldives, providing life-saving treatments, strengthening clinical care, and mobilizing critical supplies to bolster response and help the country recover. Through this partnership, the U.S. has:

  • Donated 128,700 high-quality vaccines to Maldives. These are true donations that are provided entirely free of charge to the Maldivian people.
  • Donated $2 billion to the global COVAX facility, making the United States the world’s largest single donor supporting the global effort to provide equitable access to high-quality, WHO-authorized COVID-19 vaccines. COVAX has committed to donating an additional 113,850 vaccine doses to Maldives to cover around 20 percent of its population. Maldives received its first delivery of 17,850 doses of the vaccines from COVAX in March.
  • Provided urgently needed supplies to the Ministry of Health, including: Personal Protective Equipment consisting of 32,000 KN95 masks, 4,000 protective goggles, and 256,000 pairs of large, medium and small examination gloves. The U.S. also donated diagnostic tools, including 600 fingertip pulse oximeters to measure oxygen levels to determine whether a higher level of care is needed.
  • Donated 60 ventilators to 60 healthcare facilities designated by the Ministry of Health to treat COVID-19 patients in order to save lives and enhance the quality of immediate care for Maldivians suffering from the most severe symptoms of COVID-19.
  • Provided clinical training to 796 doctors and nurses from the 60 facilities specializing in COVID-19 case management. Trained 191 staff from 19 health facilities on ventilator use to expand the pool of healthcare professionals qualified to use this ventilator model.
  • Donated critical hygiene supplies that reached more than 76,000 students and 9,000 teachers in government schools and special needs care facilities.
  • Helped local civil society organizations expand COVID-19-related social protection services, which included COVID safety awareness campaigns.
  • Provided technical assistance to the Maldivian government to develop effective economic, fiscal, and monetary measures in response to the pandemic.

Dhivehi translation (PDF, 294 KB)