Save the Children in Nepal handed over 1743 sets of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and essential health commodities to the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) to support the government of Nepal to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The commodities were handed over in the presence of Honorable Minister of Health and Population, Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal. Speaking at the event, Minister Dhakal stated, “the assistance provided by Save the Children will help the government strengthen health services, and support health practitioners to contain the spread of COVID-19. Therefore, I am confident that this support will better health service delivery and support in containing the spread of COVID-19” The PPE sets are aligned with the WHO and the Nepal government’s standards.

“Our priority is to support the government in controlling the spread of COVID-19 and ensuring that we reach the most marginalized populations, especially vulnerable children. Save the Children is committed to work towards strengthening the health system in Nepal, and better equip health workers with life-saving equipment and support,” stated, Bandana Risal, Interim Country Director of Save the Children Nepal.

Save the Children through its regular and Global Fund funded project has been aiding the federal, provincial and local government with critically required COVID-19 medical and non-medical supplies. Save the Children is also in the process of procuring an additional 2000 PPE kits.

Additional to this, Save the Children has been collaborating with government line-ministries in both the federal and local level to provide medical and non-medical supplies, which includes establishment of quarantine centers, support with health and hygiene kits, orientation for health practitioners on swab testing, aiding health services by providing IR thermometers, N95 masks, cardiac monitors, electric suction machine, and ECG machine. Along with this, Save the children in collaboration with the National Health Education Information Communications Center (NHEICC) has been developing and disseminating general and child-friendly COVID-19 messaging through national and local radio stations.