UNICEF delivered personal protective equipment for front-line workers to ensure continuation of health services and border crossing during the pandemic

UNICEF delivered a lot of personal protective equipment for the frontline workers today. The assistance includes 100,000 surgical masks, 20,000 face shields, and 500,000 pairs of gloves.

Most of the personal protective equipment will be made available to frontline healthcare workers, to protect them from the risk of getting infected with COVID-19.

The support is provided as a part of the UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Multi-Partner Trust Fund, implemented by UNICEF, UN Women and IOM. The fund is financed by the Governments of Norway, Denmark, The Netherlands, and Switzerland in the amount of USD one million, out of which UNICEF in Moldova implements USD 750,000. 

”It is an enormous support given to the health system in our country, in order to face the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical workers are at the forefront of the fight for patients' lives and health, which is why protective equipment provides them with the necessary protection. Sincere thanks to the partners for their involvement and collaboration,” said the Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection, Viorica Dumbraveanu.

”Courageous frontline workers in health and non-health related professions are the backbone of an  effective response to Covid-19,” said Desiree Jongsma, UNICEF Country Representative in Moldova. ”We need to help ensure their protection, as the audacity of both health workers and other frontline staff in the fight against Covid-19 is extraordinary,” added Desiree Jongsma.

“The personal protective equipment will go, first of all, to the medical institutions that deal with the care of children infected with COVID-19, and would meet their needs over a 6 months period”, said Mihai Ciocanu, director of the Institute of Emergency Medicine.

“This assistant is of major importance, as in our institution there are 724 health workers providing medical care to patients with covid-19. First of all, we must protect the medical staff, said Igor Curov, Medical Director of the Institute of Emergency Medicine.

Out of the total batch of personal protective equipment, 20,000 masks and 80,000 pairs of gloves will be donated to the border police workers. Border Police workers provide such essential services, interacting daily with thousands of people at Moldova’s borders, and are exposed to a great risk of getting infected with COVID-19. Currently, more than 40,000 people are crossing the border of the Republic of Moldova every week.

In the following months, UNICEF will continue to provide additional personal protective equipment for the front-line workers in health and non-health entities in order to help ensure the efficient and safe provision of public services during the COVID-19 crisis.

As a global leader in the procurement of products and services for children, UNICEF works with suppliers and the private sector at large to secure affordable prices and the best value for money.

About the UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Multi-Partner Trust Fund

The UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Multi-Partner Trust Fund supports development, effectiveness and UN coherence through the efficient, accountable and transparent design and administration of innovative pooled financing instruments. The fund is currently supported by the Governments of Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. For more information on the UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Multi-Partner Trust Fund visit http://mptf.undp.org/factsheet/fund/COV00.

About UN support in COVID-19 response

The United Nations in Moldova has been supporting the Government of Moldova and Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection as well as other institutions from non-health areas involved in the response in three main areas: health system preparedness, technical support and capacity building and risk information and communication on COVID-19 under the guidance of WHO Moldova.

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