USA donates 12 000 masks to SANDF
The United States of America has donated more than 12 000 protective masks to the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
The U.S. Embassy in South Africa says the donation was done through its Office of Defence Cooperation and is meant to assist the country’s efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
It comes on top of the R410 million in assistance already pledged by the U.S. government.
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In a statement on Tuesday, the US embassy in South Africa said the funds will come from several agencies.
"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has committed US$13.2 million in funding, along with $8.4 million in assistance through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This brings the total U.S. government commitment to South Africa’s COVID-19 response to over US$21.5 million.
"Additionally, through the U.S President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the United States is supporting up to 5400 community healthcare workers to assist with the South African government’s community COVID-19 screening campaign and provide HIV treatment support on the front lines. This builds upon a strong foundation of $7.2 billion in U.S. government public health assistance to South Africa over the past two decades."