Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - UNICEF has donated medical supplies containing personal protective equipment (PPE) to the Ministry of Health in support of Jordan’s national response to COVID-19. The handover of essential supplies took place in Zarqa in the presence of UNICEF Representative and Ministry of Health officials.

The protective equipment to keep healthcare workers safe includes 500,000 surgical masks, 10,000 face shields and 10,000 goggles. In total, UNICEF is donating US$2.7 million worth of medical supplies to the Government of Jordan as part of the UN multiagency support for the National COVID-19 Preparedness & Response Plan 2020.

"UNICEF is extremely grateful to the healthcare professionals who have worked so hard to keep children and their families in Jordan safe and protected. We are proud to contribute these supplies to help ensure that they are protected while they do their job and to support the Ministry of Health in their response efforts," said Tanya Chapuisat, Representative, UNICEF Jordan.

Since the outbreak, UNICEF has scaled up support the Ministry of Health to provide critical health supplies including one million surgical caps and boot covers, as well as surgical gowns, face shields and hand sanitizer for healthcare facilities. The supplies have been locally procured, while further essential supplies to support the national health response have been procured through UNICEF’s global supply chain.

To minimize the risks of the pandemic to children, UNICEF is also supporting the Ministry of Health’s resumption of routine immunization and newborn screenings to give every child the best start in life. In addition, UNICEF is scaling up its work with the MOH to strengthen the primary healthcare system by supporting a network of community health volunteers to deliver medications to close to 14,000 people in Mafraq, Irbid, Jerash, Ajloun and Zarqa.

The provision of lifesaving health supplies to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic is generously supported by the Governments of Australia and Canada.