By: Mohamed M. Sesay
With support from the German Government, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), yesterday the 29th of June 2022, handed over a huge consignment of Personal Protective Equipment with a monetary value of around $500,000. The consignment consist of 304,500 masks, 7 10,750 gloves; 25,000 gowns, 32,500 face-shields, 11,500 coveralls, 1,000 boots, and 500 goggles.
In her handing over statement, the UNICEF Chief of Health, Nutrition and HIV Ms Yuki Suehiro disclosed that Sierra Leone is one of 49 countries, Which has benefited from the Government of Germany’s generous contribution of about (25 Million Euro), earmarked for the procurement of PPE for frontline hearth workers and vaccinators as part of COViD-19 response. She noted that UNICEF appreciates the solidarity being shown by the Government of Germany to support current efforts to tackle COVID-19 in Sierra Leone and to provide safety and protection to frontline health workers as they perform their duties during this outbreak.
Ms Suehiro stated that the world has come a long way since March 2020, especially when the index case of COVID-19 was announced in Sierra Leone. She added that resounding strides have been taken to minimize infections and fatalities due to COVID-19, and have also witnessed firsthand, the unprecedented effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted the delivery of essential services and continues to affect lives and disrupt livelihoods.
In addition to the medical impact of this pandemic, she maintained that they have also seen devastating socio-economic impacts of the pandemic, which are now compounded by the Russia-Ukraine War’s effect on fuel and other essential commodities. She acknowledged that the current global events are causing more hardships and stress, especially to the most vulnerable segments of the population including children.
The UNICEF Chief of Health commended that such a generous contribution from the Government of Germany is very timely and appropriate as it helps in consolidating and to bring the curtain down on this pandemic. With the global high demand for PPE during this response, she said it is only the right thing for all of them to give ongoing attention to ensuring that PPEs are available for health workers. She added that the availability of PPE is also crucial in protecting the wider health services and ensuring that lives are not unnecessarily lost due to non-COVID-19 health causes.
“UNICEF also appreciates and welcomes the partnership with the Government of Germany in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Just last month, Sierra Leone received 345,600 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines from the Government of Germany through the COVAX Facility. UNICEF values and promotes ‘partnership’ in all aspects of our work toward the realization of children’s rights and looks forward to fostering more relationships with the Government of Germany in future”, she said.
On his part, the German Ambassador Horst Gruner expressed that he felt very elated to take part in the handing over of personal protective equipment that consists of masks, gloves, gowns, face shields, coveralls, and aprons, with a total value of about 500,000 US dollars.
He reminded all and sundry that in May 2022, about 300 doses of vaccine was delivered via the scheme of COVAX to Sierra Leone, donated by the German Government. He added that the position of the German government is that the pandemic can only be defeated if it is brought under control worldwide. He assured that Germany has therefore committed itself to a joint and united response to the pandemic following the principle that no one is safe until everyone is saved.
Ambassador Horst Gruner reaffirmed that Germany would love to increase their international cooperation with Sierra Leone adding that; any aspect of the cooperation should be held firmly.
He furthered that the donation is part of the continuation of what the German Government has been doing in the health sector which is not pertaining alone to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I must mention this here because our pandemic in which context this event takes place is not separated from the global events. We are all making a very big effort right now. And of course, fighting a pandemic gets hindered and hampered by an unnecessary, unprovoked war. This is the context I must mention this year and I thank you for listening”, he concluded.
In receipt of the donated items, the Minister of Health and Sanitation Dr Austin Demby expressed delight for the donated times. He also on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone, extended profound thanks to the German Government for such a colossal donation of medical equipment. The Minister of Health and Sanitation confessed that the consignments are very timely and important to health workers. He, therefore, assured the German Ambassador that the items would be judiciously used for their intended purposes.
