A joint effort by the Government of Belize, the Japan Special Fund, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of Health of Central America and the Dominican Republic (SE-COMISCA) has achieved the urgent mobilization of US $130,000 for the purchase of medical supplies for health care workers on the front lines of the battle against COVID-19.
This non-reimbursable technical assistance is a response to the Statement that the heads of state and government of Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic made on March 12th with regard to the coronavirus pandemic.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, as of June 15 there were more than 1.6 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 25 countries and 10 territories.
The number of cases of infection, deaths and affected countries are expected to rise in coming months.
The swift rise in the number of cases in the region is overwhelming health care systems, which can hinder their ability to provide timely and high-quality care during the pandemic.
The pandemic’s impact on Central America could be devastating not just for the health of its people but also the economy and the social cohesion of these countries.
“This operation, coordinated by the IDB, draws on the positive experience achieved with the Salud Mesoamerica Initiative and the Regional Initiative to Eliminate Malaria. In both cases the IDB worked with SE-COMISCA to provide technical assistance and the joint acquisition of medical supplies for the countries of the region, achieving major improvements in people’s health,” a statement from the organization said. (https://www.breakingbelizenews.com/2020/06/29/belize-to-receive-financial-support-from-japan-special-fund-inter-american-development-bank-to-confront-health-emergency/)
