Kathamandu: Today, Administrator Samantha Power signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Faiths4Vaccines, an inclusive, multifaith movement comprised of local and national religious leaders and medical professionals throughout the United States working together to identify and resolve current gaps in vaccine mobilization, outreach, uptake and ensure equitable distribution. The MOU launches a Year of Action working with civil society, including faith and community partners, on COVID-19 response efforts supported by USAID’s Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships (FBNP) around the world.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a global crisis that has manifested in numerous, highly localized ways, with vast and varied impacts across countries, communities, and individuals around the globe. Fighting this pandemic requires urgent, collective effort among governments, civil society, private sector, international and local partners. By working together, USAID and Faiths4Vaccines will build upon decades of successful partnership between governments and religious communities on global health crises to combat misinformation on COVID-19, increase vaccine demand, and save lives. The specific emphasis on engagement with civil society, including faith and community actors, aims to include local voices, impact local health outcomes, and integrate the leadership of local faith actors in country-level planning as part of USAID’s global COVID-19 response.
FBNP will leverage the expertise and networks of USAID’s Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation (DDI) – and the Local, Faith and Transformative (LFT) Partnerships Hub in particular – to advance the goals of this alliance.