As part of efforts to help Nigeria’s battle against the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Edward Kallon, and Deputy Head of the EU Delegation, Alexandre Borges-Gomes, will on Tuesday, July 28, 2020, at 2 pm hand over a consignment of essential medical supplies for the COVID-19 response to the Federal Government.

The consignment will be received by the National Coordinator, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Dr Sani Aliyu; and Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire at the Airport Cargo Section, Abuja.

The consignment of essential medical supplies, is part of the US$22m procurement of essential medical supplies approved and endorsed by the Nigeria/One-UN COVID-19 Basket Fund Board.

The over 270 CBM shipment, which consists of thousands of PPEs and hundreds of other medical supplies that will aid provision of effective healthcare for those affected by the virus, arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Sunday, 26 July 2020.

Recall that on April 6, 2020, the UN in collaboration with the Government of Nigeria launched the One UN COVID-19 Response Basket Fund, which serves as the One COVID-19 Financing and Investment Platform. Through the fund, different stakeholders (including UN, other multilateral and bilateral donors, as well as private sector donors, foundations and philanthropists) can channel their financial support to the multi-sectoral efforts of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 Response.

As of June 2020, the One UN COVID-19 response Basket Fund, managed by UNDP had mobilised US$62.7m, including US$54.6m from the European Union (EU); US$2.2m from UN agencies; $US4m from the private sector (Dangote US$ 3.8m and AP Maersk US$ 0.2m); and US$0.4m from the Government of Switzerland; US$1m from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; MacArthur Foundation US$ 400,000.

As of June 2020, the Project Board had allocated US$ 42.767m for response interventions to be undertaken by Participating UN Organizations (PUNOs) covering the following areas: Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE); Strengthening State level Operational Capacity in Surveillance, Infection Prevention, and Control. Others include Building Capacity of Healthcare Workers in Case Management and strengthening hospital capacities to respond; and, engagement with Civil Society Organisations to reverse the negative impact of COVID-19 on equal access to essential health services.