The Pan American Health Organisation was pleased to present Jamaica’s Ministry of Health and Wellness today with a large donation of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to help maintain the health and safety of frontline health workers.
Dr Bernadette Theodore-Gandi, PAHO/WHO representative for Jamaica, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, handed over PPE supplies to Dr Christopher Tufton, Minister of Health and Wellness, that included 142,258 surgical masks, 24,500 face shields, 14,200 isolation gowns and 5,000 goggles, which were procured utilizing funds from the United Nations Secretary General’s Multi-Partner Trust Fund.
“The Pan America Health Organisation has really stepped up to the table and provided the leadership that was necessary for smaller countries”, said Dr Tufton. “Through the coordinating efforts of countries that can afford to support in terms of tools and equipment and from that perspective the role of the United Nations has been invaluable.”
The donation comes at an important time as Jamaica battles a surge in COVID-19 cases due to the viral spread entering the community transmission phase.
“Partnership is the key to overcoming this pandemic. If one country needs assistance, it is in our collective interest to answer the call for help because viruses know no boundaries,” explained Dr Gandi. “This is the reason why the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund was established and PAHO/WHO is pleased to support Jamaica and its healthcare heroes.”
COVID-19 has caused major disruptions in service delivery for many organisations including those that provide essential community support needs. A portion of the funding for this relief package was mobilised through the United Nations COVID-19 Response and Recovery Multi-Partner Trust Fund (COVID-19 MPTF), which aims to boost the capacity of developing nations to respond the global pandemic.
UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund
The United Nations (UN) COVID-19 Response and Recovery Multi-Partner Trust Fund (COVID-19 MPTF) is a UN inter-agency finance mechanism launched by the UN Secretary-General to support low- and middle- income programme countries in overcoming the health and development crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Fund’s assistance targets those most vulnerable to economic hardship and social disruption.
Built on the lessons learned from the Ebola Response Multi-Partner Trust Fund, the UN COVID-19 MPTF helps finance the three objectives of the UN Secretary-General’s Call for Solidarity, a plea for global action to stop the COVID-19 pandemic and the suffering it has caused. The Call’s objectives are to tackle the health emergency; focus on the social impact, and the economic response and recovery; and help countries recover better.
