WHO’s Pan American Regional office (PAHO) has distributed a large donation by Canada of medicines, personal protective equipment and human resources to Bolivia to support the ongoing COVID-19 emergency response. The donation will help frontline staff and the particularly vulnerable Yuquis, Guarani and Aymaras indigenous peoples.
The current donation amounting to USD $140,000 is part of the Government of Canada’s rapid solidarity contribution to stem the spread of COVID-19. So far, Canada has allocated more than USD $1.8 million for the COVID-19 emergency in South America.
Canada’s donation is part of a wider call for donors to raise USD $95 million to respond to the pandemic in the particularly hard-hit South American region. The funds are dedicated to preventing and controlling infections, boosting surveillance, ensuring laboratory capacity, managing cases and communicating risk.
Canada has been supporting health in Bolivia for over 40 years, most recently working to strengthen the health systems of 10 countries in the region through a joint initiative with PAHO—the Integrated Health Systems in Latin America and the Caribbean (SISLAC) project.