The United States has purchased 18 trucks to help Bangladesh establish a dedicated fleet of specialized cold-chain vehicles to deliver COVID-19 vaccines across the country. 

US acting Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) William Dowers and US Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director Kathryn Stevens handed over the brand new freezer trucks to Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque as part of the ongoing US support to the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Bangladesh. 

Read: Bangladesh plans to import huge petroleum fuel amid global market volatility

USAID purchased four trucks on the local market with an additional 14 vehicles to arrive in the coming months, said the US Embassy in Dhaka.

The total US government COVID-19 assistance to Bangladesh exceeds $121 million.

USAID partnered with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) and Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, the agencies that will oversee the procurement of these vehicles and support the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to roll out COVID-19 vaccinations across the country.

 “We hope to sustain the impressive momentum Bangladesh has made in turning the tide against the pandemic. Through our work, we are helping to get more people vaccinated so they can protect themselves and their loved ones, and return to more normal lives,” said acting DCM Dowers.  

The US government has donated 15 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines and contributed over $121 million to fight the pandemic through USAID, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

This assistance has saved lives and treated individuals infected with COVID-19, supported the national vaccination campaign, strengthened testing capacity and monitoring, enhanced case management and infection prevention and control practices, and improved the supply chain and logistics management systems. 

Read: Bangladesh, Tanzania keen to work on blue economy, agriculture

The US support also protects front line workers and increases the public’s knowledge about COVID-19, including ways to protect themselves.

 The United States has donated $4 billion to support the worldwide COVAX effort, which includes support for ultra-cold chain storage, transportation, and safe handling of COVID-19 vaccines, making the United States the world’s largest donor for equitable global COVID-19 vaccine access.