On 22 June, a shipment of medical equipment arrived in Azerbaijan to help healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The protective equipment is funded by the EU and procured by the World Health Organization (WHO). The assistance includes 10,000 face shields, 10,000 protective goggles, 8,000 gowns and 140,000 respirators.
The assistance is part of the ‘Solidarity for Health’ initiative, to which the EU has contributed €30 million to support Eastern partner countries in fighting COVID-19.
Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, the EU has supported the citizens of the Eastern partner countries in fighting the coronavirus. As part of an EU-funded programme, over 11 million units of personal protective equipment (PPE), medical equipment and diagnostic tests will reach frontline health workers in the six countries.
On 22 June, the first deliveries arrived in Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Ukraine. The equipment will help respond to the countries’ immediate needs. In Ukraine, for example, the supplies will provide health centres throughout the country with PPE for a full month.
Deliveries to Armenia, Georgia, and the Republic of Moldova are coming soon. This support is being deployed through the two-year initiative ‘European Union solidarity for health’. The initiative will cover the countries’ immediate health needs, and collaborate with their national health sectors to better respond to future challenges.
The EU support, which is implemented in partnership with the World Health Organization, amounts to €30 million, of which 90% is for rapid response. By the end of July 2020, the six Eastern partner countries will have received in total €9 million worth of supplies and an additional €3.7 million worth of diagnostic tests and medical equipment.
This support is part of the EU’s long-term engagement with the Eastern Partnership. It is also in line with the EU’s 2020 Eastern Partnership policy, which aims to strengthen resilience in Eastern partner countries by delivering well-targeted, tangible results for people.
Source: https://www.euneighbours.eu/