The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has contributed equipment worth millions of shillings to Malaba COVID-19 isolation infrastructure at the Uganda-Kenya border.
The items that were contributed through WFP’s Deputy Country Director, Mr Ryan Anderson, are meant to help quicken the screening process and augment Malaba’s COVID-19 isolation infrastructure.
The items include hospital beds, computers, biometric scanners, digital cameras, computer tables and office swivel chairs all in tens and 100 plastic chairs.
Handing over the equipment, Mr Anderson said the donation is also meant to contribute to reducing the risks of infection on all people passing through and working in Malaba including truck operators, who are a critical piece in the supply chain apparatus.
“The World Food Programme hopes that these items will contribute to strengthening Uganda’s efficiency at a key border entry point and, therefore, the country’s overall COVID-19 response,” said Mr Anderson.
Mr Anderson noted that Uganda has a robust response to the COVID-19 pandemic adding that the country’s swift actions and investments made over the years in emergency preparedness and response, has made it record remarkably fewer infections so far compared to many other countries in the region and the world.
The deputy country director said no country can successfully take on COVID-19 by itself since the pandemic is affecting countries indiscriminately.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting even my own country, the United States of America. That means that we must respond as a collective of nations so that we may succeed together,” Mr Anderson said.
He asked all people to remain vigilant, washing or sanitizing hands regularly, wearing masks properly, maintaining physical distancing and keenly following guidelines from the Ministry of Health -19, as the joint struggle continues.
WFP’s contributions are ambitious commitments that 193 countries made back in 2015 when they adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals under the stewardship of Uganda, which chaired the UN General Assembly at that time. Goal 17 underlines the importance of partnerships in accelerating the delivery of results against all the Sustainable Development Goals.
Already, at the request of the Ministry of Health, the World Food Programme has contributed tents and other infrastructure to facilitate safe screening of people at Elegu, Malaba, Mutukula, Busia, Lwakhakha border points and Entebbe International Airport.
WFP is a member of the national taskforce managing the COVID-19 response, alongside the sister UN agencies, and it co-chairs the Logistics Sub-Committee. In addition, WFP has deployed a supply chain officer to work full-time on the national taskforce.
