Through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. government made an initial delivery of 50 new, state-of-the-art ventilators to Paraguay to help the country combat COVID-19.
The donation is part of a gift from U.S. President Donald Trump of 250 ventilators to support Paraguay in the urgent fight against the pandemic and as a symbol of the solid and enduring friendship between the peoples of the United States and Paraguay.
The donation of 50 ventilators to Paraguay was carried out July 14 during an official ceremony. Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benítez, U.S. Ambassador Lee McClenny, and Paraguayan Minister of Public Health Julio Mazzoleni took part in the ceremony.
The high-demand, state-of-the-art ventilators are compact and portable, and will give Paraguay greater flexibility in the treatment of coronavirus patients.
Along with the ventilators, USAID is funding a personalized package for additional support, including support teams, service plans, and technical assistance. This donation is on top of the $1.3 million that USAID has allocated to support Paraguay in its pandemic response, which helps to strengthen hospital care, disseminate risk awareness, improve lab capabilities and health surveillance, and support disease prevention, among other measures.
The U.S. government is a long-standing partner to Paraguay, investing more than $456 million in the last 20 years, including more than $42 million in health care.