ANTANANARIVO – The U.S. government, through the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Rural Access to New Opportunities in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (RANO WASH) project, has donated equipment and supplies to ensure proper sanitation and hygiene in six COVID-19 treatment centers. This donation supports the Ministry of Public Health’s COVID-19 response strategy in coordination with the Ministry of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene.

The donation, valued at approximately $10,000, includes washable coveralls, rubber boots, gowns, filter masks, gloves, hand-washing devices, disinfectant sprayers, and other cleaning materials. USAID is sending the materials directly to COVID-19 treatment centers in Alaotra Mangoro, Amoron'i Mania, Atsinanana, Haute Matsiatra, Vakinankaratra, and Vatovavy Fitovinany.

This donation is the latest iteration of USAID’s ongoing collaboration with the Government of Madagascar. The two countries are working together like “mpirahalahy mianala” to ensure the health and protection of the Malagasy people from COVID-19.

To end the global pandemic, USAID is taking bold action. We have contributed billions of dollars to fight COVID-19 in more than 120 countries. In Madagascar alone, the United States has provided $2.5 million in emergency funding to support the Government of Madagascar’s COVID-19 response and repurposed $2.2 million worth of USAID health projects to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. In November and October 2020, USAID donated $29,000 worth of computer equipment through the RANO WASH project to Madagascar’s Ministry of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene to strengthen the Ministry’s information management system and coordination for COVID-19 response. In March, the U.S. government donated “head-to-toe” personal protective equipment to front line health care workers in 13 areas of Madagascar hard hit by COVID-19.

The United States is the largest single-country donor to Madagascar's health sector, providing $74 million in 2020 alone to fund health projects managed by USAID. RANO WASH is USAID's largest water and sanitation project in Madagascar. Over a five-year period, the U.S. government is investing $30 million to improve access to water for hundreds of thousands of people in 250 rural communes in six regions of Madagascar that face a chronic shortage of drinking water.

For more information on the RANO WASH project, visit https://ranowash.org

Source: Press Release by U.S. Embassy Antananarivo / USAID Madagascar