The Ministry of Health in Uganda has received 2,800 oxygen cylinders and 48 million syringes from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Germany to support the fight against COVID-19 and other deadly diseases.
The total investment is valued at $688,800 for the cylinders and $2.8 million for the syringes.
The Ugandan Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, received the medical supplies at a ceremony held at the Ministry’s headquarters in Wandegeya.
“The syringes and cylinders we are receiving today will help build the capacity of the emergency and vaccination departments. I welcome the continued support of WHO and the German Government in strengthening our health system,” said Minister Aceng.
Speaking at the same function, the German Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Matthias Schauer, reaffirmed his government’s readiness to Uganda in addressing the health challenges facing the country.
“The syringes provided today are intended to ensure the continuation of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign and can be used to meet other vaccination needs as well. I am glad that Germany is enabling Uganda to accelerate its response to COVID-19. Global cooperation and solidarity will be our only chance to defeat the virus worldwide.”
The WHO Representative to Uganda, Dr. Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, explained that the oxygen cylinders donated will serve more than 850 patients each requiring 15 litres per minute of oxygen for 24 hours.
The delivery of this medical equipment follows previous contributions from the German Government since the onset of the pandemic. That included donations of more than 5 million vaccine doses, support provided through WHO to strengthen the country’s response to COVID-19 case management, surveillance, and coordination, and to identify known and new variants of COVID-19 in Uganda.
During the latest Commonwealth Health Ministers’ Meeting on 17 May, Secretary-General Scotland highlighted issues of health inequalities across member states. She pointed specifically to the challenge of equally distributing vaccines as more than 40 per cent of people are yet to receive even a single dose in the Commonwealth.
Learn More: The World Health Organization – Africa
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