U.S. Government provides more Support for Rwanda’s COVID-19 Response 

The U.S. Embassy in Kigali announced today MORE THAN FOUR MILLION USD in ADDITIONAL emergency funding for Rwanda’s COVID-19 response. These donations continue the U.S. government’s strong support of Rwanda’s public health sector and will expand the Rwandan government’s ability to support critical public health needs during the current pandemic. 

Three million dollars (2.8 billion Rwanda francs) will be directly awarded from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC). These funds will be used to:  

• Increase laboratory diagnostic capacity and biosafety

• Enhance central and district-level surveillance

• Strengthen infection, prevention, and control for acute respiratory infections

• Train frontline public health workers in all 30 districts through CDC’s field epidemiology training program (FETP).

An additional 700,000 dollars (650 million Rwandan francs) from the U.S. Agency for International Development will augment the 1 million dollars in assistance through our Ingobyi health program announced on April 4. This USAID emergency health assistance will help with surveillance and case management efforts in support of the Government of Rwanda’s COVID-19 National Preparedness and Response Plan.  The announcement also included nearly $500,000 in additional funding from the Department of State to support refugees in Rwanda. 

“The United States is proud of the strong partnership that we have with Rwanda in public health,” said U.S. Ambassador Peter Vrooman. “We are taking an ‘All-of-America’ approach to addressing this crisis. Together we will overcome this outbreak.” 

The United States is Rwanda’s partner in public health. In the past 20 years, the United States has invested more than 1.5 billion dollars in public health in Rwanda, assistance that has helped Rwanda improve health outcomes on many challenges, including malaria, TB, and HIV/AIDS.

“U.S. public health assistance keeps everyone safer and is making a real difference in Rwandans’ fight against COVID-19,” said Vrooman.