COVID-19: US, Korea donate to FG

Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja

The United States, yesterday, donated $2.1 million to support the Federal Government’s fight against COVID-19.

The US Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria, in a statement in Abuja, said the donation made through the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was for the conduct of household survey to determine the extent of COVID-19 transmission in  Gombe, Enugu, and Nasarawa states.

“The survey will increase the current understanding of COVID-19 transmission and burden in these three states and inform COVID-19 response efforts of the  Nigeria and its partners,” it said. It said the CDC was funding the full cost of the survey at $2.1 million and providing technical assistance as part of the US efforts to improve the health and well-being of Nigerians.

The US also said the survey will further estimate the prevalence of malaria and its potential relationship to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Similarly, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has received three “Smart Walk-Through Booths” for COVID -19 sample collection, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director-General of the centre has said.

Ihekweazu said the booths were donated by the Government of the Republic of Korea through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). Ihekweazu said that the booth would enhance the fights of COVID-19 in the country and promised to ensure it was properly used as required. He said the booths would be put into effective use at the National Reference Laboratory in Abuja, the Central Public Health Laboratory and Nigerian Institute of Medical Research in Lagos.