European Union makes new US$7.33m grant to Zimbabwe’s Covid-19 fight

'A global health threat needs a global response with timely and coordinated measures and solidarity'

Coronavirus war ... A health worker wears a protective suit during a demonstration of preparations for potential coronavirus cases at a hospital in Harare (REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo)

HARARE – The European Union has granted another US$7.33 million to step up the Covid-19 response in Zimbabwe. The funds are a top-up for the EU’s existing support to the multi-donor Health Development Fund (HDF).

The additional support will contribute to the supply of essential materials including personal protective equipment for health staff and diagnostic tests. Additionally, training of all frontline health workers will be conducted as well as for community health workers on infection prevention and case management, the EU’s mission in Harare said Friday.

EU Ambassador Timo Olkkonen said: “A global health threat needs a global response with timely and coordinated measures and solidarity. In view of the current rising epicurve which shows daily new Covid-19 positive cases, this timely support is appropriate to improving ongoing activities, which are part of an urgent response to shared priorities.

“The EU will continue supporting the people of Zimbabwe, monitoring the work of our trusted partner UNICEF to ensure the needs of the most vulnerable are met. We trust this will contribute to mitigate at medium terms, part of the triple crisis of socio-economic challenges, drought and Covid-19 that Zimbabwe is currently facing.”

Olkkonen said the grant would also go towards developing innovative communication tools to maintain a high level of alertness in the country.

In support of Zimbabwe’s Covid-19 response plan, HDF funding partners – DFID, Irish Aid, SIDA, GAVI and EU – had already contributed to the immediate response in order to reinforce the basic and critical health services at all levels of care as well as using flexible procedures to support the early national response in March/April 2020.

Support to the health sector is one of the key support areas of the European Union in Zimbabwe under the 11^th European Development Fund. Since 2016, the EU has provided over US$122.23 million to the HDF and is one of the biggest donors to the sector.

On Sunday, Zimbabwe said it had recorded 985 coronavirus infections including 18 deaths and 328 recoveries.