First UN solidarity flight departs Addis Ababa carrying very important COVID-19 medical provides to all African nations

The primary United Nations “Solidarity Flight” is scheduled to go away Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, right now – from there, the plane will transport the very important medical cargo to all nations in Africa, the place provides are desperately wanted to include the unfold of COVID-19.

WHO cargo is being  transported by the United Nations World Meals Programme (WFP), and contains face shields, gloves, goggles, robes, masks, medical aprons and thermometers, in addition to ventilators.

The cargo additionally contains a big amount of medical provides donated by the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Jack Ma Basis Initiative to reverse COVID-19 in Africa. The African Union, by the Africa Centres for Illness Management and Prevention (Africa CDC) is offering technical help and coordination for the distribution of the provides.

“Business flights are grounded and medical cargo is caught. We are able to cease this virus in its tracks, however we’ve set to work collectively. WFP is dedicated to getting very important medical provides to entrance strains and shielding medical employees as they save lives,” mentioned David Beasley, WFP’s Government Director. “Our air bridges must be totally funded to do that, and we stand prepared to move frontline well being and humanitarian employees in addition to medical cargo,” he added.

“The Solidarity Flight is a component of a bigger effort to ship lifesaving medical provides to 95 nations,” mentioned Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-Common of WHO. “I would really like thank the African Union, the governments of UAE and Ethiopia, the Jack Ma Basis and all our companions for his or her solidarity with African nations at this important second in historical past.” 

The essential WHO cargo contains a million face masks, in addition to private protecting tools, which will likely be sufficient to guard well being employees whereas treating greater than 30 000 sufferers throughout the continent and laboratory provides to help surveillance and detection.

“The African Union values the efforts of our companions – the World Well being Group, the World Meals Programme, the Jack Ma Basis/Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed – in supporting the African continental technique for COVID-19 response. The medical provides are a lot wanted at this important time that medical commodities are in brief provide worldwide,” mentioned Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Fee. “The African Union will proceed to offer the coordination wanted in addition to assets to make sure that our Member States are in a position to meet the necessity for healthcare providers throughout this pandemic,” he added.  

“We’ve got seen repeatedly our well being employees fall sufferer to infectious illnesses as they work in hospitals and generally cross away,” mentioned Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “That is unacceptable. This private protecting tools will assist preserve them secure. WHO is dedicated to defending these on the front-lines of well being care.”

WHO’s logistics hub in Dubai, staffed by a staff of seven, has been working across the clock to dispatch over 130 shipments of PPE and laboratory provides to 95 nations throughout all six WHO areas.

“Due to the Authorities of the United Arab Emirates for its beneficiant help of this operation, WHO’s regional logistics hub in Dubai has performed a key position in ensuring these provides are ready and shipped to the place they’re most wanted. That is by far the biggest single cargo of provides for the reason that begin of the pandemic, and can be sure that folks residing in nations with a number of the weakest heaths techniques are in a position to get check and handled, whereas making certain that well being employees on the frontlines are correctly protected,” mentioned Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Japanese Mediterranean.

The WFP and WHO lengthen because of the Authorities of Ethiopia, which helped WFP arrange the Addis Ababa Humanitarian Air Hub this week, to assist transport protecting tools, medical provides and humanitarian employees throughout Africa for the COVID-19 response, in addition to making certain medical evacuations for humanitarian responders.

A staff of 25 WFP aviation and logistics employees is predicated at Bole Worldwide Airport in Addis Ababa, managing the 24-hour operation. They handle warehouse area for dry bulk, temperature-controlled and chilly storage cargo and its onward transport by air. WFP additionally supplies devoted cargo monitoring, warehouse administration and customer support to nations throughout Africa in collaboration with the Africa CDC. 

“The medical provides are well timed because the continent nonetheless has a window of alternative to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. Collective and quick actions as exemplified by the Solidarity Flight are due to this fact important,” mentioned John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa CDC. 

As a part of a worldwide attraction to lift a US$2 billion for the COVID-19 response, launched by the United Nations Workplace for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on 25 March, WFP is looking for US$350 million to determine very important humanitarian hubs around the globe to facilitate the storage and dispatch of important medical cargo, arrange air transport hyperlinks for cargo and personnel, contract constitution vessels for transport providers, and supply passenger air and Medevac providers for humanitarian and well being employees. This contains such Solidary Flights by Addis Ababa.  Presently, WFP has obtained solely 24% (US$84 million) of the US$350 million it requires to offer these very important widespread providers to the worldwide humanitarian neighborhood.

 

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About WFP

The United Nations World Meals Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian group, saving lives in emergencies, constructing prosperity and supporting a sustainable future for folks recovering from battle, disasters and the impression of local weather change. Be taught extra at www.wfp.org.

About WHO

WHO is the United Nations’ specialised company for well being. It’s an inter-governmental group and works in collaboration with its Member States often by the Ministries of Well being. The WHO is liable for offering management on international well being issues, shaping the well being analysis agenda, setting norms and requirements, articulating evidence-based coverage choices, offering technical help to nations and monitoring and assessing well being developments. Be taught extra at www.who.int.

About Africa CDC

Africa CDC is a specialised technical establishment of the African Union which helps Member States of their efforts to strengthen well being techniques and enhance surveillance, emergency response, prevention and management of illnesses. For extra data. Be taught extra at: https://africacdc.org/.

 

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