US pledges $55 billion to support Africa’s climate adaption, health

President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, has said the U.S. government will support the African continent with over $55 billion to support health and climate adaptation.

Biden, while speaking through White House National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, said the U.S. is committed to investing in the African continent compares favourably to other countries.

Sullivan announced this on Tuesday on the sidelines of the U.S.-Africa summit in Washington D.C.

The money will go to “a wide range of sectors to tackle the core challenges of our time,” and is being distributed in close partnership with Congress, Sullivan said.

According to him, the bulk of the money will be on spent health and climate adaption, noting that Biden-Harris administration will be providing nearly $20 billion in health programmes in the Africa region.

“That includes $11.5 billion dollars to address HIV/AIDS; more than $2 billion dollars to combat malaria; more than $2 billion dollars in support of family planning and reproductive health as well as maternal and child health; and more than $2 billion dollars to address the health, humanitarian, and economic impacts of COVID-19.

“The administration also plans to ask Congress for $4 billion for healthcare workers in Africa, investing $1.33 billion annually from 2022 to 2024,” he added.

Sullivan also said President Joe Biden would host a dinner on Wednesday night for about 50 African leaders and announced U.S. support for the African Union to join the Group of 20 major economies.

Biden has made trips to visit U.S. allies in Asia, Europe and the Middle East since taking office but has yet to visit Africa since becoming president, and the event will be his most comprehensive look at the complexities of the continent.

Part of Biden’s diplomatic efforts so far have focused on promoting Western democracies as a counterweight to China, but U.S. officials have insisted the Africa summit was not all about discussing Beijing’s influence in Africa.

Biden will also appoint a special representative for implementing ideas discussed at the summit, and the U.S. State Department plans to appoint Ambassador Johnnie Carson for this role, Sullivan said.