June 4, 2021: Through a massive mobilization effort, the United States is delivering on its commitment to stand with the people of Maldives and five other South Asian countries as they fight a devastating COVID-19 surge. Today, U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Martin Kelly and USAID Mission Director Reed Aeschliman virtually joined the Maldivian Minister of State for Health His Excellency Dr. Shah Abdullah Mahir and Maldivian Foreign Secretary Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed to welcome a flight to Malé carrying necessary emergency supplies, including pulse oximeters, goggles, gloves, and KN95 masks donated by the American people.
“In coordination with the Maldivian Government, we are providing these critically needed supplies to the Ministry of Health to ensure they quickly reach those in need,” said U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Martin Kelly. “Through the generosity of the American people, the emergency supplies are part of our broader effort, since the start of the pandemic, to win the fight against COVID-19 and provide on-the-ground, life-saving support for both frontline health workers and critically ill patients.”
Through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United States has provided $2.75 million, in addition to an in-kind donation of 60 critical care ventilators, to save lives, control the spread of COVID-19, and meet the urgent health needs of the Maldivian people. USAID has supported clinical training for hundreds of doctors and nurses on COVID case management and expanded the pool of healthcare professionals qualified to use the donated ventilators. Working with local civil society organizations, the U.S. has helped expand COVID-19-related social protection services and implemented a COVID safety awareness campaign ahead of the local elections in April. The U.S. has also provided support to the Maldivian Government in developing effective economic, fiscal, and monetary measures in response to the pandemic and for Maldives long-term economic recovery.
Since 2001, the United States has worked in partnership with the government and people of Maldives to improve lives and livelihoods. The U.S. government has invested more than $20 million in Maldives through USAID to help protect marine life and ecosystems, meet energy needs, provide clean drinking water, strengthen institutional capacities of government bodies, and provide relief and reconstruction assistance. USAID’s COVID-19 support builds on these investments by delivering technical assistance and training, strengthening health systems, and mobilizing critical supplies to bolster response and help the country recover.
FACT SHEET
Emergency COVID-19 Assistance for Maldives
The United States has a long-standing partnership with Maldives. In continuation of its commitment to support Maldives through the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States is delivering emergency supplies to provide urgent relief as Maldives faces an increase in COVID-19 cases. This includes vital personal protective equipment and other critical supplies to support frontline health care workers and people most affected by the current outbreak.
Immediate U.S. Emergency COVID-19 Assistance
At the request of the Government of Maldives, the United States is providing these critically needed supplies to the Ministry of Health to ensure they reach those in need as fast as possible. They include:
- Personal Protective Equipment: 32,000 KN95 masks, 4,000 protective goggles, and 256,000 pairs of large, medium and small examination gloves.
- Diagnostic Tools: 600 fingertip pulse oximeters plus batteries to measure oxygen levels to determine whether a higher level of care is needed.
U.S. Support for Maldives from the Outset of the Pandemic
The United States and Maldives have worked closely together to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic since its outset. To date, the United States through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has committed $2.75 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, we have:
- Provided 60 ventilators to 60 healthcare facilities designated by the Ministry of Health to treat COVID-19 patients to save lives and enhance the quality of immediate care of Maldivians suffering from the most severe symptoms of COVID-19.
- Provided clinical training to 796 doctors and nurses from the 60 facilities on 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.
- Helped local civil society organizations to expand COVID-19-related social protection services, which included COVID safety awareness campaigns ahead of the April local elections. Provided technical assistance to the government to develop effective economic, fiscal, monetary measures in response to the pandemic.
- Committed, through the COVAX facility, to provide 113,850 vaccine doses to Maldives free of charge to cover around 20 percent of its population. Maldives received its first delivery of 17,850 doses of the vaccines from COVAX in March.
Globally, the United States has pledged $4 billion to the COVAX facility, making it the world’s largest single donor supporting this platform to provide equitable global access to high-quality, WHO-authorized COVID-19 vaccines.
U.S.-Maldives Partnership since 2001
Since 2001, the United States has worked in partnership with the government and people of Maldives to improve lives and livelihoods. The U.S. government through USAID has invested more than $20 million in Maldives to help protect marine life and ecosystems, meet energy needs, provide clean drinking water, strengthen institutional capacities of government bodies, and provide relief and reconstruction assistance. USAID’s COVID-19 support builds on these investments by delivering technical assistance and training, strengthening health systems, and mobilizing critical supplies to bolster response and help the country recover.
