Coronavirus: EU donates 2.5 million euros to Guinea for the fight against Covid-19

12 Mai 2020

Conakry, Guinea,  May  12 (Infosplusgabon) - The European Union (EU) on Monday donated 2.5 million euros to Guinea to enable the west African country to respond adequately in its fight against the Covid-19 on the Conakry-Koundara (west) axis and in the Nzérékoré region (south), Infosplusgabon reported on Tuesday, quoting a press release.

According to the press release, this financial windfall constitutes "a rapid intervention" in favor of the Guinean populations in their response against the Covid-19, the first case of which was detected on 12 March in the country where more than 2,100 positive cases have been recorded, more than 700 cured and 11 deaths.

The funding is entrusted to the NGO Terre des hommes (TDH), linked to the EU by a contract.

Guinea's action, using the financial grant, is to prevent the transmission of the disease, the control of infection (support for the modernization / equipment of the health structures) and the coordination of the response at the regional and prefectural levels.

It will also involve raising awareness among target populations on the symptoms of Covid-19, popularizing barrier gestures to minimize the risk of contamination and strengthening the referral system to deal with coronavirus.

Handwashing devices will be installed in more than 3,000 public places, tens of thousands of masks will be distributed, more than 1,300 health workers trained by the NGO TDH, including 581 on the Conakry-Koundara axis and 751 on the area Nzérékoré for 51 health centers and 128 health posts.

The project also plans to reach around 1,500 inmates, a group considered to be extremely vulnerable to Covid-19 in 9 prisons, to support them in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus in prison settings.

A total of 1.8 million people living in the cities of Conakry, the epicenter of the epidemic, Kindia (Lower Guinea), Mamou, Pita Labé, Koundara (Middle Guinea), Beyla, Lola and Nzérékoré (Forest Guinea) will be affected by the project.

The provincial towns represent a high risk area due to the fragility of the health system.

This new project complements the support measures already offered by the EU in Guinea to curb the spread of the virus.

FIN/ INFOSPLUSGABON/GVB/GABON2020

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