The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has donated 200 ventilators to Uzbekistan to assist in the fight against COVID-19.
The aid is just the latest donation by the United States in response to Uzbekistan’s request for international assistance related to the pandemic, the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent said.
“In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to mobilize as a global community. The virus doesn’t respect national borders — it affects us all. So, the United States is supporting Uzbekistan and many other countries by providing supplies and technical assistance needed to battle this virus. These ventilators, obtained in partnership with the American private sector, will strengthen Uzbekistan’s ability to treat seriously ill COVID-19 patients,” said U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan Daniel Rosenblum.
The donated ventilators are of the highest quality, made in the U.S. with cutting-edge technology. They are compact and easy to deploy, and can support both invasive and non-invasive applications, which will give Uzbekistan’s health workers flexibility in treating patients affected by the virus.
USAID will also fund training of health workers and ongoing maintenance so that hospitals can continue to operate the equipment safely for years to come. The ventilators can also be used to treat patients for other respiratory ailments.
The United States continues to coordinate with the Government of Uzbekistan to identify priority areas for more life-saving investments. This ventilator donation, valued at approximately $2.6 million, builds upon over $6 million in previous U.S. COVID-19 assistance to support Uzbekistan’s fight against the pandemic. Over the past 20 years, the United States has invested more than $1 billion to support Uzbekistan’s development goals, including more than $122 million in health assistance.
