Monrovia – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Monday, April 13, donated a US$400,000 assortment of medical supplies and equipment to the Government of Liberia.

By Alaskai Moore Johnson, alaskaijohnson@frontpageafricaonline.com

Presenting the items to the Ministry of Health, says Dr. Bannet Ndyanabangi, UNFPA Representative, said the donated items include delivery beds, reproductive health kits, newborn resuscitation machines, digital ultrasound scanners, fistula repair kits, gynecological gloves and hepatitis B vaccines.

“These medical supplies and equipment were acquired with funding from the Spotlight Initiative; an EU-UN global partnership to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls and Johnson & Johnson. This is to strengthen the maternal health system to provide quality services to pregnant women and girls as well as their newborns, and to also ensure quality care for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence as Liberia responds to the Coronavirus pandemic,” said Dr. Ndyanabangi at the Central Medicine Store (CMS) formerly National Drugs Service (NDS).

“We need to ensure that other health services continue unabated, to prevent losing pregnant women and girls as well as newborns during childbirth,” Dr. Ndyanabangi added.

The UNFPA Country Rep. furhter stated that it is usullay during crisis that the health system collaspes. “So, under the previaling condition Covid-19 in the country, we need to make sure that other health services continue to function. Otherwise, we are going to loose mothers, childern to other diseases other than Covid. So, it is in this spirit that UNFPA continues to support the Ministry of Health to ensure that we have the health system further.”

He further said that UNFPA would continue to support the Government of Liberia in its efforts to strengthen the health system and ensure quality health for all including women and girls.

In response, Mrs. Bentoe Z. Tehoungue, Director, Family Health Division, Ministry of Health said ensuring the continuation of maternal and newborn healthcare services is critical during the current response to the Coronavirus pandemic.

“The Ministry of Health will ensure that these materials reach the various earmarked health facilities,” she promised.

Speaking earlier, Boakai Boley, Managing Director, CMS, praised the UNFPA and all other partners for their “invaluable supports to the Government through the Ministry of Health. We appreaciate all the continued outpouring of supports in logistics, cash and kind.”

He assured the UNFPA Representative that he and others will do all they can to provide the needed services to the people of Liberia.

Boley said inasmuch as the country is battling the global pandemic, there are, however, other illnesses that the government, too, is fighting, including carrying on routine medical health services.

“There are pregnant women in this country that we have to look out for them,” the CMS Manager added.