The Governments of the United Kingdom and Canada have collaborated with WHO/PAHO to provide the Ministry of Health of Belize with various items worth US$271,135 to help the country prepare for a resurgence of COVID-19.
The donated items consist mainly of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) that will primarily support infection prevention and control for healthcare personnel throughout the country.
The government of the United Kingdom contributed US$169,035 towards the purchase of these PPEs, while Canada provided USD$80,000.
PAHO was able to access USD$22,100 of WHO funding to complement the donation of the following PPEs: 41,400 Face Shields, 63,200 Respirators, 296,000 Medical Masks, 3,800 Goggles, and 11,100 Gowns.
At the same time, the European Union (EU) has reallocated 500,000 Euros from the existing “Health Sector Support Programme Belize Project” that is being implemented jointly by PAHO and the Ministry of Health to Belize’s response to COVID-19. The funds will now go to:
Improve the diagnostic capacity of the national laboratory network, by purchasing testing kits, equipment and supplies, and providing training on their use.
Enhancing infection prevention and control with a focus on medical waste management for COVID-19 including purchasing of two autoclaves for Southern Regional Hospital and Corozal Polyclinic.
Improving integrated healthcare at the community level through outreach services and strengthening human resource capacity in self-care and management, health promotion, and community engagement.
The programme, co-financed by the EU with 6.8 million Euro, was originally conceived to strengthen the national health sector by improving health systems towards achieving universal health care for all while developing climate-friendly, energy-efficient, and disaster-resilient health facilities. Other activities of the programme will continue, such as strengthening the health system to provide essential health services as the prevention, control and treatment of non-communicable diseases and upgrading of six health facilities.
PAHO/WHO Belize continues to work closely with the Ministry of Health and other agencies to support the fight against COVID-19 and to protect the most vulnerable, including frontline workers, healthcare workers, and the people of Belize.