Coronavirus - Zambia: WHO Donates test kits to the Ministry of Health to help strengthen the national response towards the COVID-19 pandemic

In a statement made at the handover ceremony, the WHO Representative, Dr. Nathan Bakyaita stated that since the beginning of the pandemic, WHO had emphasized the vital importance of testing as part of a comprehensive strategy to control COVID 19 transmission. He thanked the Government of the Republic of Korea for collaborating with the World Health Organisation in supporting the scale up of life saving interventions aimed at curbing the spread of covid-19 in Zambia. He recognized the government’s commitment in the implementation of COVID 19 response interventions. “We have witnessed the continued reduction in the number of cases reported including the number of deaths. However, we need not be complacent. This is a time to strengthen further our efforts”.

Whilereceiving the donation, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health Dr. Kennedy Malama stated that the World Health Organization was a strategic partner and had continued to provide technical and financial support for the COVID 19 response in the country. He thanked the Government of The Republic of Korea for collaborating with WHO to provide COVID 19 test kits. He stated that the donation had come at the right time as efforts were being made to decentralise testing to the district level in an effort to make it widely available.

Ms Diana Nciwa Kolala, represented the Korean Honorary Consul to Zambia at the event. In a statement which was released by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Zimbabwe, the COVID 19 test kits were intended to strengthen the Government of Zambia’s national response towards the pandemic. Korea had earlier also donated to Zambia 50,000 disposable face masks. The donation was a concrete example of the longstanding strong partnership and solidarity between the Republic of Korea and the Government and people of Zambia.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) - Zambia.

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