The United Nations Population Funds (UNFPA) donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to health workers in 33 facilities in Ogun on Thursday to curtail Covid-19.

The equipment include examination and surgical gloves, facemasks, hand sanitisers, hand wash, disinfectants, safety goggles and reproductive health kits.

The Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN), the Implementing Partner of the UNFPA project, coordinated the handing over of the PPEs and life-saving kits to the state government.

PPFN’s Programme Officer in Ogun, Mrs Omotayo Adeyemo, said the gesture was part of UNFPA’s efforts to support the state government in fighting COVID-19.

She said that PPFN would in turn support the state’s Primary Healthcare Board to distribute the items to the implementing health facilities in Abeokuta South, Sagamu and Ado Odo/Ota local government areas.

Some of the lifesaving kits are aimed at increasing access to reproductive health and gender-based violence response services across selected primary healthcare facilities in Ogun,’’ she said.

“In those three local government areas, more than 100 health workers have been trained in COVID-19 prevention and control, creation of triage stations and sexual and reproductive health.

Triage stations are the points just before a health facility at which patients are screened before they are granted access.

“We have also been monitoring compliance and we are implementing it in 11 facilities in each of the three local government areas, making it 33 facilities.

“In each of these areas, we will monitor the distribution and correct usage of the equipment in each of the facilities,’’ Adeyemo said.

The State Coordinator of PPFN, Mrs Tayo Ladejobi, handed over the equipment and kits to the Executive Secretary, Ogun State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr Elijah Ogunsola.

Ogunsola commended UNFPA for the timely donation and said it would assist health workers in the state to shield themselves from contracting the Covid-19 virus.

He promised that the equipment would be used judiciously just as the state would continue to put in place more measures to contain the virus.

Ogunsola called on all stakeholders to continue to support the government to defeat the virus and strengthen its health systems.