The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) on Friday donated Personal Protection
Equipment (PPEs) and life-saving commodities to Borno Government.
Presenting the items to government officials at a ceremony in Maiduguri, the Head of Maiduguri sub-office of
the fund, Christian Macauley, said the gesture was part of the fund’s sustained support toward
enhancing and increasing access to sexual reproductive health and Gender Based Violence (GBV), “particularly
at this critical time.”
Macauley said the items sourced from the One UN COVID-19 Basket Respond Fund was for 32 primary healthcare
facilities and 10 secondary and tertiary facilities across the state.
While reiterating the commitment of UNFPA in supporting Borno Government, particularly in sexual reproductive health issues,
Macauley noted that recently, UNFPA donated some mini ambulances to Borno to ensure that women and girls, particularly
those affected by the insurgency in hard-to-reach areas accessed healthcare services.
In his remarks, the Executive Director, Borno Primary Healthcare Services, Dr Aliyu Mailafiya, who described the donation
as timely, lauded UNFPA for the sustained support to the state.
He said “these equipment are handy at this particular time; to some extent, we have almost exhausted the commodities that
we have; we are having the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mailafiya said.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Mohammed Ghuluze, thanked UNFPA for the
support, particularly in areas of reproductive health and staff training, which he said made it a household
name in the ministry.
Ghuluze assured that the items which included 3,646 panaromic regular nose indirect ventilation safety goggles, 3,000
long surgical gloves, 6,000 short examination gloves, and 6,000 surgical face masks, would be judiciously utilised. (NAN)