Windhoek, Namibia – The U.S. government donated medical personal protective equipment (PPE) and sanitation supplies worth N$4 million (US$294,000) to Namibia’s Ministry of Health and Social Services. The equipment has been distributed to frontline COVID-19 health care workers at health facilities all over the country over the past four weeks.
The equipment includes 140,000 surgical masks, more than 25,000 N95 masks, and 2,000 face shields, 87,000 gloves, 21,000 protective gowns, and suits, as well as 450 liters of antibacterial soap and 12,000 paper towels rolls.
“I would like to reaffirm America’s commitment to supporting all Namibians during these challenging times. We must prevent the spread of infection by wearing masks, washing our hands, and keeping our distance. People over the age of 18 have the opportunity to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and this is a very important way to help stop the spread of the virus,” said U.S. Ambassador Lisa Johnson.
The equipment was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and comes at a time when Namibia faces a critical increase in COVID-19 infections and death rates. Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in March 2020, the U.S. government has steadily scaled up its support to the Ministry of Health and Social Services to fight the pandemic.
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Joseph Simasiku