Press release
At a time when the expansion of the COVID-19 pandemic is taking a worrying momentum in The Gambia, “Team Europe” is taking another timely, solid and concrete move to support The Gambia’s COVID-19 response. The EU Delegation to The Gambia announces the signature of a EUR 2.500.000 COVID-19 emergency response project, which is implemented by a consortium of the Spanish Red Cross, The Gambia Red Cross Society and the Medical Research Council – The Gambia.
“In this time of crisis we all must play our part and take up responsibility, and so does the European Union”, said EU Ambassador to the Republic of The Gambia, H.E. Attila LAJOS.
This 18 month-long action will be implemented in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the other actors of the overall response to the COVID-19 crisis in The Gambia. It will encompass sensitisation and community outreach activities, provisions for the strengthening of the national testing capacities and laboratories in general, and purchases of a number of much needed sanitary supplies: personal protective equipment (for health facilities and other key responders); reagents for testing; oxygen delivery kit (incl. concentrators and pulse oximeters); drugs for general treatment/COVID-19 vaccine; lab equipment-Hood, PCR machine, etc; sprayers for disinfection activities; hygiene and sanitation kits; materials for installation of hand washing facilities, etc.
The action will also cater for the construction of seven infrastructures for safe disposal in different regions of the country and for the rehabilitation of isolation centre in Kuntaur Health Centre.
Eventually, a specific component of the project is aimed at mitigating the socio-economic consequences of the crisis by providing safety nets to selected vulnerable households.
The overall focus will be on people living in most vulnerable situations affected by the COVID-19 crisis in The Gambia, particularly women, people living in poverty, and specific marginalized groups such as persons with disabilities, the elderly and people with underlying health conditions.
