SEJONG -- South Korea's finance ministry said Monday it has approved $200 million in health care aid for three Asian nations to better combat the coronavirus pandemic.

The approval is part of the nation's plans to provide more than

$400 million in loans and grants to developing nations this year to help them push for health projects against the novel coronavirus.

The three nations are the Philippines, Cambodia and Bangladesh.

The fund is expected to help developing nations build testing and tracing systems to fight the virus and expand containment facilities in the nations, the ministry said.

Globally, more than 42 million people have been infected with the new coronavirus, and more than 1.1 million people have died, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. (Yonhap)