"Here comes a reinforcement that will help us, not only for the preventive approach of patients, but also to face the challenge that lies ahead, which is the national vaccination campaign and, for this, biosafety material is also necessary" , said Sílvia Lutucuta, in Luanda.
The minister, who was speaking at the headquarters of the Central Purchasing and Distribution of Medicines and Medical Devices in Angola (Cecoma), where she received the donation, thanked the "unconditional support of the EU not only during the pandemic period but in all other projects related to the Cheers".
The European Union's offer to Angola, valued at 378,100 euros, is made up of specific medical protection and testing material from covid-19.
The donated material includes 300,000 type II surgical masks, 30,000 type IIR masks, 44,000 KN95 masks, 50,000 disposable caps, 100,000 shoe covers, 475 level I protective suits, 475 level II protective suits, 950 glasses protection, 15,000 visors, 4000 quick tests and 8000 disposable vinyl gloves.
Sílvia Lutucuta recalled that the national vaccination campaign against covid-19 is scheduled to start in February and comprises three phases, the first of which should reach 12 million doses of vaccines, a donation from the Covax initiative.
"And, in this initial phase, we will only vaccinate about six million people and within the priorities that are already defined, such as health professionals, forces of order and security, exposed people. We also have several characteristics, such as age and level of exposure, people with comorbidity. Then we have other phases ", he explained.
According to the minister, the country already has machines and / or equipment to test the new variant of covid-19, "which needs a genetic analysis, and the respective reagents arrive this week in the country".
Asked by Lusa how the distribution of biosafety material to hospital units in the country will take place, in the face of some complaints about the scarcity of this material, the government official guaranteed that the management mechanisms at the local level will be fine-tuned.
"It is good to inform here that the budgets of our health units are decentralized, we will continue to work with the health units for part of this biosafety material to be acquired based on their budgets and Cecoma will complement", he stressed.
"We made a great effort to ensure that all these means are, in the first instance, distributed to the provinces and that management is local, but we are going to fine-tune the management mechanisms at the local level to improve the situation" he assured.
The ceremony to deliver biosafety material to the Ministry of Health was chaired by the national authorizing officer of the European Development Fund and Angolan Minister of Economy and Planning, Sérgio Santos, and the European Union ambassador to Angola, Jeannette Seppen.
Sérgio Santos considered, at the time, "that it is not possible to have an economy without health", referring that the donation "appears to defend lives" "And that is why we are with the Ministry of Health, which is defending the lives of Angolans" , he added.
"This material will help in this effort that the Government of Angola is making to defend our population against this very difficult situation against the spread of this dangerous and deadly disease", he noted.
