Building a healthy and prosperous Congolese population is a key pillar of the U.S.-DRC Privileged Partnership for Peace and Prosperity. In support of this objective, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has committed an initial $3 million for CDC’s COVID-19 activities in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to support prevention, preparedness and response, including some regional activities. These resources will support rapid response teams and disease surveillance, prepare health facilities to prevent infections in health care workers, and provide technical support for laboratories. This brings the total U.S. support for responding to COVID-19 to over $17.4 million.
Since early January, CDC staff in Kinshasa have been supporting DRC to prepare for and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes:
- Supporting the development of the national COVID-19 preparedness and response plan
- Providing daily technical support to the national response commissions
- Supporting the development of a national laboratory testing plan for COVID-19
- Supporting the development of a national therapeutic protocol for COVID-19 plan
- Providing daily technical support to the national response commissions
- Supporting the development of a national laboratory testing plan for COVID-19
- Provided videoconferencing equipment to the COVID-19 national response commissions
- Conducting virtual trainings on COVID-19 to prepare clinical service providers
- Developing contingency plans to protect vulnerable populations, including people living with HIV
- Providing technical assistance on emergency operations, laboratory operations, infection prevention and control, risk communication and community engagement, and disease surveillance
The goal of CDC’s global health response to COVID-19 is to limit human-to-human transmission and minimize the global impact of COVID-19 through partnership with the DRC and other key countries and non-governmental partners to mitigate vulnerabilities and gaps in preparedness. $300 million was authorized for CDC’s global response to COVID-19 as appropriated by Congress in the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act.
This funding builds on long-standing U.S. investments in the DRC and around the world to control HIV, TB and malaria, eradicate polio, prepare for influenza and other pandemic diseases and strengthen local health care systems.
The United States has provided the DRC with more than $1.6 billion in health assistance since 2000 and more than $500 million to support the ongoing Ebola response in eastern DRC. We are also looking to realize President Tshisekedi’s vision of establishing a Congolese institution equivalent to the U.S. CDC to build upon the DRC’s vast expertise in responding to disease epidemics.
For more information about COVID-19, please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/covid19
