Hanoi, Vietnam, April 8, 2020: The United States Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam, and the Government of Vietnam worked together to facilitate the logistics and approvals necessary to expedite the delivery of personal protective equipment to the United States. The first of two initial shipments of over 450,000 DuPont protective suits made in Vietnam departed Hanoi on April 7. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services contracted with FedEx Express to expedite delivery of the suits to the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile in order to address the urgent need for protective equipment for frontline providers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
The U.S. and Vietnamese governments have cooperated extensively in the COVID-19 fight. Since the beginning of this crisis, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have been collaborating with Vietnamese officials to monitor and respond to the evolving COVID-19 situation. U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Dan Kritenbrink stated, “Over the past 20 years, the U.S. has invested more than $706 million in health assistance for Vietnam, and over the past decade has provided substantial technical and financial support to prevent, detect, and respond to emerging and serious infectious diseases. These investments by our two countries are paying off at this critical time. The connections established between American and Vietnamese health professionals have been instrumental as we fight this epidemic together.”
A recently announced $2.9 million in additional health assistance from USAID will help the Vietnamese government to accelerate laboratory systems; strengthen case-finding and event-based surveillance; and support technical experts for rapid response, risk communication, and infection prevention and control.
Speaking about the collaborative effort, Ambassador Kritenbrink said, “This shipment will help protect healthcare professionals working on the front lines against COVID-19 in the United States and demonstrates the strength of the U.S.-Vietnam partnership.”
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