The US Collaborating with 50 Countries to Stop Pandemics
President Joe Biden’s administration is launching a program to assist 50 countries in identifying and responding to infectious diseases in order to prevent future pandemics like the COVID-19 outbreak that impacted the world in 2020.
U.S. government officials will collaborate with these countries to enhance testing, surveillance, communication, and preparedness for potential outbreaks. The program was discussed by a senior Biden administration official who spoke to reporters on Monday under the condition of anonymity. The official did not disclose the list of countries participating in the program.
This initiative comes at a time when achieving global consensus on pandemic response has been a challenge. Four years after the coronavirus pandemic, efforts to establish a pandemic treaty signed by all 194 World Health Organization members are facing obstacles.
The U.S. program will involve various government agencies, such as the U.S. State Department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), to assist countries in refining their response to infectious diseases.
Work has already begun in Congo, where the U.S. government is aiding the response to an mpox virus outbreak, including providing immunizations. Mpox, a virus related to smallpox, causes painful skin lesions. Last year, the World Health Organization declared mpox a global emergency, with over 91,000 cases reported in 100 countries.
A website listing the participating countries will be launched by the White House on Tuesday. The Biden administration aims to have 100 countries enrolled in the program by the end of the year. The U.S. has allocated billions of dollars to support this initiative, and Biden has requested $1.2 billion for global health safety efforts in his annual budget proposal to Congress.
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