The World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo, says the UN Solidarity Flight carrying medical supplies has arrived Guinea-Bissau to support health workers in the fight against COVID-19.
The first UN Solidarity Flight which is part of a larger effort to ship lifesaving medical supplies to 95 countries departed Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to various countries on April 14.
The UN health agency disclosed this in its official twitter account @WHOAFRO on Monday.
“The cargo is transporting face shields, gloves, goggles, gowns, masks, medical aprons and thermometers, as well as ventilators.
“The UN ‘Solidarity Flight’ arrived last night in Guinea-Bissau with medical equipment to support health workers in the fight against COVID-19.
“The cargo was donated by WHO and the Jack Ma Foundation with logistics and transportation supported by World Food Programme (WFP)
“Representatives from WHO and Ministry of Health in the country were there to receive the cargo ,’’ WHO said.
In a related development the WHO in in a statement said it would accelerate delivery of critical supplies in West and Central Africa to support front line health workers.
It stated that just over two months since COVID-19 was first detected in Africa, the disease had now spread to nearly every country, resulting in nearly 21, 000 confirmed cases and around 1,000 deaths across the continent.
While South Africa has sub-Saharan Africa’s most severe outbreak, West and Central Africa are of growing concern.
Cameroon has confirmed more 1,016 cases, while Niger, Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea have reported a rapid rise in numbers during the past week.
The statement quoted Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO, Regional Director for Africa, as saying: “Eleven out of 17 countries with more than 100 cases of COVID-19 are in West and Central Africa.
“We are working with the governments to better understand what is happening on the ground, but this is worrisome as countries in these sub regions often have particularly fragile health systems.”
Crucial medical equipment needed to respond to COVID-19 is lacking in many countries
WHO has been working closely with the World Food Programme (WFP), the African Union (AU), national governments and the Jack Ma Foundation to make sure that vital supplies get to the people who need it most: front line health workers in Africa.
In the past two days, more eight countries have received medical equipment.
“For countries to ramp up testing, tracing and treatment capacity, they need supplies and solidarity.
“There is enough personal protective equipment in this shipment to allow health workers from across Africa to treat 30, 000 patients without putting themselves at risk.
“This equipment will keep them safe and let them focus on saving lives.
“These cargo flights demonstrate the power of international co-operation and collective action,” Moeti said.
According to him, with several borders closed and flights cancelled, ensuring countries receive deliveries of much-needed medical equipment has become increasingly difficult.
WHO has called for humanitarian corridors and this week’s ‘Solidarity Flights’ are delivering essential supplies to every country in Africa.
The medical cargo contains face shields, gloves, goggles, gowns, masks, medical aprons and thermometers, as well as more than 400 ventilators.
A lack of personal protective equipment is already hampering response in many countries in Africa, making deliveries such as these – and the spirit of generosity and solidarity that underpin them – more essential than ever.
Healthcare workers are often disproportionately affected by infectious disease outbreaks and there is some evidence that COVID-19 is threatening health workers in Africa.
In Niger, for example, 32 health workers have already tested positive for COVID-19, making up 7.2 per cent of total cases.
Kenya expanded its testing capacity and has now more than 200 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
The country is one of the countries which received these critical supplies in the past few days.
Improved surveillance has shown that cases are increasingly cropping up outside of Nairobi and the country is moving to decentralise its response.
In another example of international solidarity, emergency medical teams from China and the United Kingdom have begun supporting the response in the African region.
A team from China is currently supporting the response in Nigeria, while a British team is working in Zambia, and another will soon be deployed in Burkina Faso.
