Luanda- Four thousand Covid-19 rapid tests, three hundred thousand type II surgical masks, thirty thousand type II R masks, forty four thousand NK95 and a thousand disposable caps were delivered, last Monday, by the head of the European Union (EU) delegation in Angola, Jeannette Seppen, to the Ministry of Health, represented in the act by incumbent minister Sílvia Lutukuta.
The donation included 100,000 disposable shoe protectors, 8,000 disposable vinyl gloves, 950 goggles, 15,000 visors, 475 Level I protective suits and an equal number of Level III protection.
On that occasion, the minister of Health, Sílvia Lutukuta, mentioned that the world goes through a unique moment in the history of humanity, with the Covid-19 pandemic, and to provide better service and so to protect professionals and all those who work on the front line, the country needs proper biosafety equipment.
She considered it to be a reinforcement that will help in terms of prevention, but also to face the challenge that lies ahead, namely the national vaccination campaign against this invisible virus.
"We continue to count on the unconditional support of the EU, not only in this phase of Covid-19, but in all other projects to be carried out for the Health sector", underlined the minister, emphasizing that Angola and the EU have a relationship that goes a long way back.
She then revealed that the EU has provided training in Human Resources for the Pase II project.
As for vaccination against Covid-19, the minister explained that it has three stages, with the first 12 million doses of vaccines available, a donation from COVAX to benefit only six million people, within the priorities already defined.
In this context, she said that the priority goes to the front line professionals, linked to the health sector, National Police and Armed Forces, those with an advanced age and with a very high level of exposure. “Then there are other phases, and there is an ambitious project that needs a great mobilization of resources”, she explained.
Meanwhile, the minister of Economy and Planning and national coordinator of the European Development Fund, Sérgio dos Santos, thanked the EU for its solidarity, stressing that the new means will help protect the lives of the population, who must take care to avoid contamination.
The head of the European Union Delegation in Angola, Jeannette Seppen, explained that the material is part of a package of EU relief measures, which is supporting the country in the fight against the pandemic, with coverage in different sectors.
He explained that in the medical field, in addition to the biosafety material that is being delivered, the Investment Bank will grant a loan of €50 million to the Ministry of Health that will be combined with a donation of €5 million for technical assistance.
In the scope of research and nutrition, the head of the European Union Delegation in Angola said that a grant of €6 million was assigned forthe provinces of Cunene, Namibe and Huíla, while for humanitarian aid, the EU humanitarian service made a donation €3 million.
The biosafety material that Angola just received from the EU is estimated at €378,179.
