WHO has handed over personal protective equipment and laboratory consumables to Kyrgyzstan to combat COVID-19

Personal protective equipment is being provided under the WHO pipeline. PPE shipment includes 950 protective overalls; 100 infrared thermometers; 950 of disposable gloves; 950 goggles; 950 type FFP 2 face masks. The total cost of humanitarian aid comprises more than 22, 000 USD.

This personal protective equipment will enable healthcare providers and primary care providers across the country to promptly and safely fight COVID-19 in the country. These items are supplied upon the request of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic to combat COVID-19. The Sanitary and Epidemiological Service of the Kyrgyz Republic plans to distribute half of the PPEs to health care facilities in the south of the country.

In addition, at the request of the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic 2 procurements were completed and supply of laboratory consumables for sample collection and testing was organized (tubes, swabs, kits, reagents, etc.), amounting to about 36,000 USD.

WHO continuously provides updated evidence-based data, recommendations, guidelines on COVID-19 Prevention, Laboratory Diagnosis and Treatment to the Kyrgyz Republic Ministry of Health and health workers on a regular basis.  WHO has also handed over the printed communication materials on COVID-19 risks to the KR MOH, which were distributed to the general public across the country. These materials were jointly adapted by the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic.

In mid-March, WHO in close collaboration with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) had provided the Kyrgyz Republic with protective protection equipment: 10 000 surgical masks; 10 000 gloves; 1400 protective overalls; 200 goggles and 200 FFP2 type face masks. The shipment was sent from the WHO Regional Logistics Center in Dubai.

Information: this assistance is provided as part of the joint humanitarian response under the Disaster Response Coordination Unit, which was activated on 16 March 2020 following the request of the Government to assist her in emergency preparedness and response for COVID-19 and setting a stage for early recovery. Chaired by the UN Resident Coordinator, the DRCU prioritizes and channels its support under six priority sectors: early recovery, education, food security and logistics, health, protection, and joint sector for water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and non-food items (NFI). The DRCU was set up in 2008 and its inter-agency teams comprise representatives of government ministries, UN agencies, international and local NGOs and representatives of donor community.