Border counties have received a boost in the fight against Covid-19 after they received a consignment of medical supplies from various partners.
The supplies which included an assortment of Personal Protective Equipment were donated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in collaboration with the Delegation of the European Union and the United Nations Office for Project Services.
The counties to benefit include Garissa, Wajir, Turkana and Marsabit.
The supplies are part of the EU-IGAD Covid-19 Response project in the IGAD region and also consists 25,056 PCR test kits, two standard ambulance, one advanced ambulance and a mobile laboratory worth more than Sh250 million (1.9 million Euros).
They will be put in use at cross-border areas.
Two ambulances and the mobile laboratory are expected in the country at a later date and will be handed over to the respective priority cross border site in the country.
“We do want to bring to your attention that the region is affected by a triple burden. We do have the locust infestation, we have floods, we have also experienced droughts and this has been worsened by the Covid-19 infection and therefore we need concerted effort,” IGAD Head of Mission to Kenya Dr Fatuma Adan said.
“The IGAD being given to the border counties through the government of Kenya is an emergency response. This project is aimed at strengthening our systems and ensure it contributing to attaining the long term agenda of improving the health outcomes in the region,” Adana said.
The European Union allocated more than Sh79 billion (60 million Euros) package to help tackle the health and socio-economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, in support of IGAD in its mandate to coordinate national responses to the pandemic in the Horn of Africa.
It is part of the Team Europe Global Response package (EU and its member states) to support partner countries' intervention to the pandemic and its consequences.
The project focuses on vulnerable groups, including migrants, refugees, internally displaced persons, and cross-border communities, including more than euro 13 million worth of medical supplies and equipment.
Main activities include the provision of health responses, WASH services, prevention of gender-based violence and risk communication.
The project also helps ensure borders and critical supply chains so they are safe for trade.
Through the component managed by GIZ, it also promotes digital solutions to monitor the crisis. The project aims to support more than one million people across the region.
“The government deeply appreciates IGAD and development partners towards its covid-19 response in the form of support provided to the IGAD mandated border counties in the country,” Health CAS Rashid Aman said.
He added: “The government acknowledges and appreciates IGAD support of Sh10 million contributed by its staff as well as the donation of PPES for the Dadaab Refugee Camps and the Moyale Subcounty Hospital in the very early days of the pandemic.”
To ensure its regional and multi-sectoral dimensions, UNOPS manages the project with implementing partners IGAD, International Organization for Migration, TradeMark East Africa and the United Nations Children's Fund.
GIZ manages the digitalisation component.