The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) has donated a 40-bed negative pressure field hospital to Nigeria to help fight COVID-19 pandemic.

The structure has been set up in Abuja, the capital of the country by an all-Nigerian team to facilitate the treatment of those infected with the virus.

In its statement on 23rd January 2021, the United States Diplomatic Mission in Nigeria said that the development was part of its commitment to assist Nigeria in fighting the spread of COVID-19.

"The US demonstrated its commitment to help Nigeria Government slow the spread of COVID-19 w/ a 40-bed, negative pressure Alaskastructure Field Hospital donated to the Federal ministry of health in Nigeria by US Africa Command. It was built in the USA and assembled in Abuja by an all-Nigerian team," the US mission said.

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The field hospital is the latest example of the deep health and security partnership between the United States and Nigeria.

The mobile hospital facility can handle the treatment of a range of patients and even serve as a facility for performing surgery if necessary.

The field hospital can be transported and assembled even in remote locations and houses up to 40 patients for full medical and operational needs in any condition.

Same equipment had been donated to other African countries like South Africa and Kenya to treat COVID-19 patients.

The latest is part of the commitment of the US to help Nigeria curtail the spread of the infection just like it has been doing in the past.

In November 2020, the United States Department of Defence (DoD), through the AFRICOM donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) worth $144,000 to support COVID-19 prevention in military and civilian medical facilities in Lagos, Kano, Akwa-Ibom, and Cross River states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Recently, Nigeria has been experiencing rising cases of COVID-19 cases amid indications of a second wave.

The West African country has so far recorded 120,602 confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to a report by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control,NCDC, on 23rd January 2021.

Nigeria recorded 2,314 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, 22nd January – its highest ever daily surge, surpassing its previous record of 1,964 daily infections reported on 21st January.

Of the 120,602 cases so far, 95,901 patients have been discharged after treatment while 1,502 have lost their lives to COVID-19 complications in Nigeria.

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