WHO to support with £2.67m in funding from UK

Islamabad : The World Health Organisation (WHO) in Pakistan will be supporting the Pakistan’s response to COVID-19 with £2.67 million (approximately US$3.29) worth of funding to scale-up current efforts.

“WHO has been working closely with Pakistan to prepare and respond to the growing threat of COVID-19. We would like to thank DFID for this generous support since it will go a long way to strengthen the current response and save lives,” said the Representative of WHO in Pakistan Dr. Palitha Mahipala.

The funding package will be used in 27 districts across all five provinces of Pakistan. It will assist WHO in providing technical, operational and logistical support to the government via existing response coordination mechanisms at the federal and provincial levels.

The funds will also help strengthen the country’s capacity to identify and diagnose cases; manage cases within health care settings through effective infection, prevention and control measures, increase community participation in stopping the spread of COVID-19, and enhance citizen’s access to reliable information so that they can learn how to protect themselves and others. Gaps in healthcare facilities and provisions of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for healthcare workers will also be covered through this funding.

The British High Commissioner to Pakistan Dr Christian Turner CMG said; “These are extraordinary times. Across the world, millions of people are being affected by COVID-19; I am confident in Pakistan’s resilience and capability to defeat this pandemic. I am announcing UK health support of £2.67m to help the government of Pakistan detect COVID-19, protect communities and assist those most affected.

We are also looking to repurpose other UK aid work in Pakistan of up to £100 million to help protect the most vulnerable people of Pakistan with economic relief and social security packages. We count on our friends at difficult times; although we are socially distancing, we are coming together. UK and Pakistan enjoy the very best of international friendship; we will beat this together.”

To date, WHO has been supporting Pakistan by strengthening COVID-19 response initiatives in collaboration with healthcare pro­viders across the country. This includes trainings of health care providers on contact tracing and case definitions for suspected and

confirmed cases, case ma­n­a­gement and infection, prevention and control measures. WHO has also assisted in the distribution of PPEs to health facilities and Information, Education and Communications (IEC) materials to raise public awareness on COVID-19 and counter any rumours and misinformation.