USAID Ongoing Development Priorities and COVID-19 response in Africa

Dr. Staley:  Thanks very much, Ms. Scott, and thanks to all of you for joining us to discuss the United States global response to COVID-19 and how the United States Agency for International Development is working with the Department of State to provide assistance to countries throughout Africa.

Dk Staley: Ahsante sana, Bi Scott, tunawashukuru kwa kuungana nasi kujadili mwitikio wa kimataifa wa Marekani wa COVID-19 na jinsi Shirika la Marekani la Maendeleo ya Kimataifa linashirikiana na Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje  kutoa ufadhili barani Afrika.

Through the American people’s generosity and our government’s action, we continue to demonstrate global leadership in partnering with you across the continent of Africa in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kupitia ukarimu wa watu wa Marekani na hatua ya serikali yetu, tunaendelea kudhihirisha uongozi ulimwenguni kwa kushirikiana nanyi katika bara zima la Afrika kipindi hiki cha janga la COVID-19.

To date, we have committed more than $1 billion to benefit the global COVID response and we want to assure everyone that we’ll continue to ensure that funding and scientific efforts on this front will remain a central and coordinated part of the USG’s response.

Mpaka sasa, tumetoa zaidi ya dola bilioni 1 za Marekani ili kufanikisha mwitikio wa janga la COVID ulimwenguni  na tunataka kumhakikishia kila mmoja kuwa tutaendelea kuhakikisha kuwa ufadhili na juhudi za kisayansi katika hili itabaki kuwa sehemu muhimu iliyoratibiwa ya Serikali ya Marekani.

Since the outbreak began, the Department of State and USAID have provided almost $400 million throughout Africa, and that’s devoted to emergency health, humanitarian, economic, and development assistance specifically aimed at helping governments, international organizations, and NGOs fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tangu ugonjwa ulivyolipuka, Wizara ya Mambo za Nje na USAID zimetoa takriban dola milioni 400 za Marekani barani Afrika, na imeelekezwa kwenye dharura ya afya, misaada ya kibinadamu, uchumi, na maendeleo yanayolenga kusaidia serikali, mashirika ya kimataifa, na mashirika yasiyokuwa ya kiserikali kupambana na janga la COVID-19.

We know that the funding we’re providing will save lives in partnership with the efforts of each of the countries on the continent by improving public health education, protecting healthcare facilities, and increasing laboratory, disease surveillance, and rapid-response capacity.

Tunajua kuwa ufadhili tunaotoa utaokoa maisha kwa kushirikiana na juhudi za kila nchi barani Afrika kwa kuboresha elimu ya afya ya jamii, kulinda vituo vya huduma ya afya, na kuongeza maabara, uchunguzi wa magonjwa, na uwezo wa kuchukua hatua za haraka dhidi ya magonjwa.

With that, I’ll say thank you and turn to my colleague, Chris Runyan.  Chris, over to you.

Kwa hayo, ninashukuru na kumkaribisha mwenzangu, Chris Runyan. Chris, kwako tafadhali.

Mr. Runyan:  Thank you, Ken.  It’s a pleasure to speak with reporters from many of the partner countries that we have been working with in Africa.  As many of you already know, long before COVID-19 appeared in your communities, the United States through USAID has shown our commitment to the African people.  The relationship between America and Africa is strong and when it comes to the current COVID-19 crisis, the U.S. Government’s response builds on a foundation of decades of support across the continent.

Mr. Runyan: Shukran, Ken. Ni furaha kuzungumza na waandishi wa habari kutoka kwenye nchi washirika ambazo tumekuwa tukifanya nazo kazi barani Afrika. Kama wengi wenu mjuavyo, kipindi cha nyuma kabla ya COVID-19 kulipuka katika jamii zenu, Marekani kupitia USAID imeonesha kujitolea kwetu kwa watu wa Afrika. Uhusiano kati ya Marekani na Afrika ni imara na kwa janga la sasa la COVID-19, mwitikio wa Serikali ya Marekani upo katika msingi ya miongo kadhaa ya ufadhili katika bara lote.

The United States has committed more than $60 billion over the last 20 years to support public health on the African continent – by far the largest contribution by any donor nation.  We’ve trained more 285,000 healthcare workers and partnered with ministries of health, hospitals, and village health centers across the continent.  In Fiscal Year 2019 alone, USAID and the Department of State provided $8.3 billion of assistance to 47 countries and eight regional programs in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Marekani imetoa zaidi ya dola bilioni 60 katika kipindi cha miaka 20 iliyopita kusaidia afya ya jamii barani Afrika - mpaka sasa mchango mkubwa zaidi kwa mataifa yote ya wafadhili. Tumetoa mafunzo kwa wafanyakazi wa afya 285,000 na kushirikiana na wizara za afya, hospitali, na vituo vya afya vijijini bara zima. Katika Mwaka wa Fedha wa 2019 pekee, USAID na Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje wametoa ufadhili wa dola bilioni 8.3 kwa nchi 47 na programu nane za kikanda Kusini mwa Jangwa la Sahara.

This provides us a unique and powerful set of relationships with African country governments, local civil society, and non-governmental organizations, and individual communities who have come to know us and our assistance.  Our primary concerns in Africa now are responding to the disease, the food security issues and disruptions in access to food, economic and employment impacts in Africa, and concerns for democratic backsliding, and the loss of progress in other development sectors.

Hii inatupa upekee wa uhusiano wa nguvu na serikali za nchi za Afrika, asasi za kiraia, na mashirika yasiyokuwa ya kiserikali, na jamii moja moja ambazo zimetutambua pamoja na ufadhili wetu. Masuala yetu ya msingi barani Afrika sasa ni kupambana na ugonjwa, masuala ya upatikanaji wa chakula usumbufu katika upatikanaji wa chakula, athari za kiuchumi na ajira barani Afrika, na wasiwasi wa kurudi nyuma kwa demokrasia, na upotezaji wa muelekeo wa maendeleo katika sekta zingine za maendeleo.

On health response, we may not yet have seen the potential height of an outbreak in sub-Saharan Africa.  Weak health system capacity, urban density with poor sanitation, and other challenges make Africa particularly vulnerable to a large-scale outbreak.  USAID’s assistance focuses on strengthening pandemic response through risk communication and public health messaging, prevention of infections in health facilities, laboratory capacity and disease surveillance, and many other areas.  At the same time, USAID continues to build resilience in other health programs, such as treatment for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and maternal and childcare services. 

Kuhusu mwitikio wa kiafya, labda hatujaona ukubwa wa milipuko Kusini mwa Jangwa la Sahara. Uwezo dhaifu wa mifumo ya afya, idadi ya watu mijini na mazingira yasiyo safi, na changamoto zingine hufanya Afrika iwe hatarini kwa milipuko. Ufadhili  wa USAID unalenga katika kuimarisha mwitikio wa janga kupitia mawasiliano  na jumbe za afya ya jamii, kuzuia maambukizi katika vituo vya afya, uwezo wa maabara na uchunguzi wa magonjwa, na maeneo mengine mengi. Wakati huo huo, USAID inaendelea kuimarisha miradi mingine ya afya, kama matibabu ya VVU / UKIMWI, kifua kikuu, ugonjwa wa Malaria, na huduma za mama na mtoto.

On food security, we are increasingly concerned about access to food.  Urban areas are of particular concern because of the instability issues a food-access crisis could provoke.  There are also serious concerns for undernourishment, and many communities or regions in some countries in Africa were already facing food insecurity challenges.  With more people losing their livelihoods, cash shortages, and some border closures and export bans affecting supply chains, there are real risks.  We at USAID are adapting our programs and are smartly joining our humanitarian assistance food efforts with traditional development assistance. 

Kuhusu upatikanaji wa chakula, tunazidi kuhangaikia suala la upatikanaji wa chakula. Maeneo ya mijini ni ya kuzingatia kwa sababu ya masuala ya kukosekana kwa utulivu yanayowezwa kusababishwa na ukosekanaji wa chakula. Pia kuna wasiwasi mkubwa wa lishe duni, na jamii nyingi au mikoa katika nchi kadhaa barani Afrika tayari zilikuwa zinakabiliwa na changamoto za ukosefu wa chakula. Kwa watu zaidi kuhatarisha maisha yao, uhaba wa pesa, na kufungwa kwa mipaka na marufuku ya kuuza nje yanayoathiri mifumo ya usambazaji. USAID tunarekebisha programu zetu na tunaunga juhudi za misaada ya kibinadamu ya chakula na ufadhili

On economic impacts, it is impossible to predict the potential full economic impacts on sub-Saharan Africa, but we know capital and other investment has slowed or reversed.  Commodity prices remain low in key sectors that several African countries rely on for government revenue, and lockdowns or other restrictions heavily impact households reliant on daily wages.  We are using the best available data to inform our decisions as a development agency.

Kuhusu athari za kiuchumi, ni vigumu kutabiri athari kamili za kiuchumi Kusini mwa Jangwa la Sahara, lakini tunajua mtaji na uwekezaji mwingine umepungua au umerudi nyuma. Bei ya bidhaa imebaki chini katika sekta muhimu ambazo nchi kadhaa za Afrika hutegemea kwa mapato ya serikali, na kufunga shughuli za kijamii au vizuizi vingine huathiri sana kaya zinazotegemea kipato cha kila siku. Tunatumia takwimu zinazopatikana vizuri kuwafahamisha maamuzi yetu kama shirika la maendeleo.

On democratic backsliding and other development areas, we are concerned about some African regimes using COVID-19 to further restrict democratic space and constrain free media.  Disturbing trends include the cancellation or postponement of elections, targeted crackdowns on key population groups, and increased gender-based and criminal violence.  Additionally, violent extremists seek to take advantage of the pandemic to recruit and test weak African government capacity split from focusing on pandemic response.

Kwenye masuala ya demokrasia na maeneo mengine ya maendeleo, tuna wasiwasi na baadhi ya serikali nyingine za Afrika zinazotumia COVID-19 kudumaza masuala ya kidemokrasia na uhuru wa vyombo vya habari. Ikiwa ni pamoja na kufutwa au kuahirishwa kwa uchaguzi, uvamizi kwa makundi maalum, na kuongezeka kwa ukatili wa kijinsia na jinai. Kwa kuongezea, makundi ya watu wabaya yanaweza yakatumia janga hili kama mwanya na kujaribu uwezo dhaifu wa baadhi ya serikali za Afrika kutokana na kuzingatia mlipuko wa janga.

Our efforts include focus on assistance to develop COVID-19 national action plans, effective policies for pandemic response, and enhancing government communications and accountability in social services.  COVID-19 certainly has potentially broad impacts on poverty in Africa and USAID will do everything possible to mitigate lost development gains and to come out of COVID-19 ready to boost development again.

Jukumu letu ni pamoja na kuzingatia msaada wa kukuza mipango ya kitaifa ya COVID-19, sera madhubuti za kukabiliana na janga, na kuongeza mawasiliano ya serikali na uwajibikaji katika huduma za kijamii. COVID-19 hakika ina athari kubwa juu ya umaskini barani Afrika na USAID itafanya kila linalowezekana kurejesha faida zilizopotea za maendeleo na kuondokana na COVID-19 tayari kukuza maendeleo tena.

Our approach will continue to emphasize good governance, increased trade and investment, enhancing youth and women’s entrepreneurship, and increased security.  African resilience is never to be underestimated, but also never taken for granted, and we know that all the creativity and commitment is still there.

Njia yetu itaendelea kusisitiza utawala bora, ukuaji wa biashara na uwekezaji, kukuza ujasiriamali wa vijana na wanawake, na ukuaji wa usalama.  Ustahimilivu wa Kiafrika haupaswi kamwe kudharauliwa, na tunajua kuwa ubunifu wote na kujitolea bado vipo pale pale.