United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Tuesday that Washington would almost double funding for COVID-19 relief programs around the world. “Today I can confirm that we are prepared to commit an additional $225 million in health, humanitarian, and economic assistance to further boost response efforts worldwide,” said the secretary during a press briefing at the State Department.
A number of senior U.S. officials have expressed frustration over the amount of media attention that China’s COVID-19 relief efforts have received, particularly in places like Africa, given that Washington spends significantly more on global public health programs than Beijing does.