PESHAWAR: The US government has donated to the KP government 36 vehicles through the USAID. Ousted premier Imran Khan and his party call the shots in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The USAID delivered these 36 free vehicles on Thursday to help the provincial government strengthen the tracking and management of infectious diseases, including Covid-19.

US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome and Minister for Health and Finance Taimur Saleem Khan led the handover ceremony at the KP Governor’s House. “This year marks the 75th anniversary of the US-Pakistan partnership,” remarked Ambassador Blome.

“We are proud of our contributions to improving lives here in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and we are committed to making the world a better place for the Pakistani people. With these vehicles and the training provided by USAID, KP health professionals are better equipped to provide accurate and timely information in remote locations and help health officials make informed decisions to protect the public.”

Taimur Saleem Jhagra thanked Donald Blome for his visit and extended support. He extended his gratitude for USAID support in different health interventions. He said, “The KP Department of Health is grateful to USAID for the timely support of vehicles provided to all District Diseases Surveillance and Response Units in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These 36 vehicles will be fully utilised for Covid-19 surveillance as well as for vaccination campaign monitoring. We cherish our partnership with USAID for strengthening the health system in the province.”

Across Pakistan, the United States has donated 61 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to-date, with an additional 16 million paediatric doses announced and expected to arrive soon. Since the start of the pandemic, the US government has provided nearly $70.4 million in direct support and $13.8 million in in-kind support to assist Pakistan in the fight against Covid-19, with another $20 million planned to support further vaccination efforts in Pakistan.

At the provincial level, the United States provided disease surveillance and response teams in all 155 districts across Pakistan and supported the reconfiguration of a “HealthAlert” phone application for healthcare workers to report new cases of Covid-19 in rural areas.

The United States has also provided 200 ventilators for 64 hospitals, which increased respiratory care capacity by 30 percent, and trained 400 healthcare workers on how to operate these ventilators.