JUBA – The African Development Bank has donated two cars to the government of South Sudan to support the ongoing COVID-19 fight.
The cars will be used by the Public Health Emergency Operation Centre in Juba to coordinate the incident management system and deploy national rapid response teams to enhance outbreak investigation.
Minister of Health Elizabeth Achuei said that the vehicles will be used to facilitate the multidisciplinary and national responses in the at-risk and affected populations.
“The vehicles will facilitate the multidisciplinary and national response in at-risk and affected populations, and thus help save more lives and tackle the negative impacts of Covid-19. I wish to thank the African Development Bank and WHO for the generous support, and we shall ensure good utilization of these vehicles,” Achuei said during the reception of the vehicles on Wednesday.
African Development Bank Country Manager for South Sudan, Benedict Kanu, said the vehicles would go a long way in filling the gap. However, the need remains great
“We must not forget the looming food crisis, which is affecting the health and wellbeing of millions of people in South Sudan, as a result of flooding, conflict and the Covid-19 pandemic. We also need to accelerate a vaccine program in South Sudan and elsewhere in Africa to save lives and livelihoods.”
Dr Fabian Ndenzako, the WHO representative a.i. for South Sudan, said: “The vehicles will support continuity of delivery of response mechanisms, as Covid-19 continues to strain the country’s healthcare system. The vehicles will improve emergency preparedness and response and strengthen the health system.”
On the other WHO has renovated three isolation facilities in Wau, Yei and Nimule for the management of COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms who do not require hospitalization Through African Development Bank grant.
“We appreciate the Bank’s generous contribution,” said Dr Ndenzako. Timely facility-based isolation for mild COVID-19 cases reduces the number of new infections”.
The isolation facilities were handed over at a similar event on 1 September 2021, in the presence of the Minister of Health, the African Development Bank Country Manager, WHO Representative and other delegates and the media among others.