The Danish government has joined a growing list of foreign nations and organizations that have committed funds to support Uganda in fending off the coronavirus.
The World Health Organisation’s unit in Uganda announced Wednesday that Denmark has offered Shs5 billion to help in implementing a one-year Covid-19 Resurgence Response Plan developed by the Ministry of Health.
“The grant will be managed by WHO Uganda but implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Health and District Health COVID19 Response teams,” the organization said.
“The one-year project will support coordination of the COVID-19 response through strengthening national and district coordination of the COVID-19 response, strengthening COVID-19 detection, reporting, and response in the community schools and closed settings.”
The health ministry’s permanent secretary Dr. Diana Atwiine says the funding will augment Uganda’s effort to scale the response to respiratory illness.
Other countries that have recently supported Uganda include the US government which last week donated $3.5 million, or about Shs12.4 billion.
The funds, which were donated through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will be used to acquire more medical oxygen and other supplies need to fend of the virus, the US embassy in Uganda said in a statement.
The donation from USAID followed another Shs8 billion committed by the World Health Organisation and the government of the Netherland to support the health ministry in the acquisition of Covid-19 vaccines.
The UK government through United Kingdom Agency for International Development, or UKAID, at the start of this month, injected £500,000 (about Shs2.4 billion) into purchasing supplies for hospitals in Uganda.
The Agency said the funds would be used to acquire 7,500-litre oxygen cylinders, protective gear for health workers, and this is projected to benefit about 1.8 million people.
The first supplies went to Mulago National Referral Hospital, Namboole Covid-19 Treatment Centre, Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, Mbale Regional Referral Hospital and Moroto Regional Referral Hospital. The funds were to also help support 4 oxygen plants for 3 months, erect a new oxygen plant at Kayunga Referral Hospital.
The PPEs would be taken to Arua Regional Referral Hospital, Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, Moroto Regional Referral Hospital. Some of the funds would be committed to training of health care workers in PPE and oxygen use.
