World Vision launches a US$ 1M COVID-19 Emergency Response in Uganda

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

On April 2, World Vision in Uganda announced it has designated over US$1,010,000 (3 billion UGX) from its different programmes in Health, Education, Water & Sanitation, Livelihood and Refugee Response to its COVID-19 Emergency Response programme. This program seeks to promote preventative measures to slow the spread of the virus, support health systems & its workers, and provide children and their families’ multi-sector support during the crisis.

The Response started over a week ago with the handing over of 40,500 Kilogrammes of soap to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) in Arua district. The soap is meant to support about 150,000 vulnerable children and people with special needs in the refugee settlements.

On April 9, hygiene equipment and supplies worth UGX 2 billion were dispatched to support 500 government health units and hospitals in 38 districts where World Vision supports over 2 million children and their families.

A key element of the Response is focussed on partnering with the Ministry of Health and local governments in order to set-up more isolation centres with mattresses and food for suspected cases (mattresses and isolation tents have already been distributed in Hoima, Mbale and Mayuge districts). The organisation is also supporting the training of Village Health Teams (VHTs) to carry out door-to-door sensitisation with megaphones, as well as distributing handwashing facilities & soap to health centres, and personal protective equipment for health workers. Logistically, the organization has contributed over 3000 litres of fuel to enable various district task force members to respond to the needs of the crisis.

“We also fully recognise that before long we will need to consider livelihoods interventions. The question many are asking is whether effectively managing the COVID-19 epidemic is as big a risk as that of economic collapse?”  Says Jason Evans, the National Director at World Vision Uganda

Jason says that it’s appropriate for World Vision to plan for intervention for both aspects. “For now, we are focussing on mitigating the spread of Coronavirus but soon we will need to start working with communities to ensure that they can plant crops and become active in bringing resources into their homes because if we cannot achieve this, we risk seeing communities slip back into poverty, with as usual the highest impact on the children.”

World Vision’s COVID 19 Response Team is closely working with the Ministry of Health, with the World Vision Health Technical Manager as a member of the National Taskforce.  World Vision is continuing to seek additional resources for what it sees as a potentially longer-term intervention.

List of Items handed over today:

COVID-19 RESPONSE ITEMS

• Masks N95- Re-usable  ( Pack of 20) - 482
• Saraya sanitizers for  Health facilities ((Big Size of 1liter) -2,490
• Infrared-Thermometers- Guns -335
• Safety Gaggles     -Safety glasses- 490
• Scrub suit- 50
• Cotton wool- 20
• Absorbent papers -10
• Nosal prongs adult- 110
• Nosal prongs pediatric size- 100
• Face shield  Plastic - 70
• Heavy-duty Nylon Hand Gloves - 80
• Disposable Gloves (Pack of 50pcs)- 1,190
• Face shields /protective face shields (pack of 50pcs)- Plastic - 1,955
• Hygiene Kits (Gloves) for VHTs & Health staff (50 Pairs per pack) - 405
• Ziplock Bag- 1000
• Sample carrier- 24
• Disposable Gowns- 210
• Isolation tent for Mayuge - 2
• Dustbins 50 litres - 104
• White Bar Soap for selected communities centres - 20 bars, 1kg- 130
• Megaphone for mobilization - 100
• Gumboots-Rhino- 2580
• Apron Protective -Plastic - 200
• Buckets -20 Litres with covers - 150
• Gumboots  -Heavy duty- 198
• Plaster adhesive- 510
• Drug Safety boxes- 60
• Liquid Soap - health facilities  20 lit jerricans)Jireh- 812
• Liquid Soap - health facilities  5 lit jerricans)Jireh- 335
• Jik ( Each has 18bottles of 750ml )- 598
• Hand washing facility withstands 20 litres - 300
• Disinfectants 1 litre -Jireh - 300
• Handwashing Facility  50 Litres with a stand and a bucket - 880
• Disposable Gowns - 100 - 300
• Aprons Plastic -Protective disposable Aprons-PVC Material- 1,000
• Protective disposable Aprons - 950
• Assorted medicines for Hoima
• Mattresses delivered to Hoima -  30

ENDS

Editor Notes:

For further information or to organise an interview please contact Joanitah_asiimire@wvi.org 

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organisation dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities to reach their full potential by tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.