By Yunus S Saliu
In strengthening The Gambia’s health system for effective Covid-19 pandemic response, the UNFPA has handed over medical equipment and supplies worth over D20,000,000.00 (Twenty Million Dalasi) to the Ministry of Health through the project – strengthening The Gambia’s health system for effective Covid-19 pandemic response funded by the government of the People’s Republic of China.
The handing over of the medical equipment and supplies, which was received by Minister of Health, was held at the Central Medical Stores, Kotu last Friday.
Receiving the equipments, the Honurable Minister of Health, Dr Ahmadou Samateh applauded the UNFPA and thanked the People’s Republic of China for funding the project ‘strengthening The Gambia’s health system for effective Covid-19 pandemic response.
The Minister highlighted the importance of all the supplied equipments and as well the past supports received from both the UNFPA and ChinaAid supported project while he assured that the Ministry of Health will effectively use the supplied equipments for its course.
Prior handing over the medical equipment and supplies, Ms Ndeye Rose Sarr, UNFPA Country Representative said the handover medical equipments are expected to improve the delivery of sexual and reproductive health services “including ensuring safe births and healthy pregnancies for all women and guaranteeing that everyone everywhere lives a healthy and dignified life.”
The ChinaAid supported project, she noted, seeks to strengthen quality health service delivery to inform a reduction in maternal, new-born, infant, child and adolescent morbidity and mortality. Also, “it is aimed at mitigating some of the potential adverse effects of Covid-19 on the health sector and by extension the health and wellbeing of our population. As such it will contribute towards ensuring the continuity of essential health services for all people across the country, amid the pandemic and beyond.”
She expressed that The Gambia just as in many other countries witnessed a shift in attention and investments towards limiting the spread of the virus and delivering emergency health care services to those affected. This unfortunately, she added, saw a disruption in the delivery of essential sexual and reproductive health services, leaving a part of the population unattended to.
However, as the UNFPA continues to see the need to ensure that services do not get relegated in the interest of prioritising the delivery of other emergency health services to tackle the pandemic, “this is why our support to the national response to Covid-19 is anchored on strengthening the health system with innovative approaches to ensure the continuum of care, the continued delivery of sexual and reproductive health services including family planning at all level and ensuring the prevention of Gender-Based Violence.”
While she noted that family planning and GBV services for women, girls, boys and men, including marginalized groups are at the core of UNFPA work.
She assured that the over GMD20,000,000 (Twenty Million Dalasi) worth of medical equipment and supplies handed over to the Ministry of Health included delivery beds, anaesthetic machines, ultrasound scanners, oxygen concentrators, suction pumps, delivery-sets, Caesarean Section sets, thermometers and blood pressure machines and personal protective equipment, among others, will contribute towards improving maternal health outcomes at all levels and provide families and communities within The Gambia, with the deserved quality of care.
She congratulated the government of the People’s Republic of China through its Embassy in The Gambia for their valuable partnership with UNFPA and as well recognized and appreciates ChinaAid for accompanying them in their quest to support the people of The Gambia as part of a South-South Cooperation effort.
