The latest shipment of clinical consumable and medical equipment donated by the Welsh government to Namibia arrived in the country recently.
The 14 large containers with the equipment were officially received by the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation (MIRCO) and handed over to the Ministry of Health and Social Services in the capital, Windhoek on 09 February.
The multi-million dollars donation also includes medical equipment and clinical consumables such as portable transport ventilator machines, thousands of COVID-19 lateral flow antibody test kits, bottles of hand liquid sanitisers, disposable aprons, gowns, face masks, hand gloves, face visors, goggles, body bags amongst others.
The donation strengthens the government’s health efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, by providing much needed personal protection equipment, ventilators, training and consumables.
So far the government has administered more than 700,000 doses of vaccines to a total population of about 2.5 million people.
The donation from Wales was made possible through the Welsh and Africa Grant Scheme, and the Phoenix Project, a longstanding partnership between the University of Namibia and Cardiff University. British High Commissioner, H.E. Mr Charles Moore praised the Phoenix Project, listing a number of its other accomplishments with UNAM, such as research collaboration, communication, health promotion campaigns and environmental sustainability.
Moore accompanied by the High Commissioner of Namibia to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Linda Scott handed over the donation on behalf of the Welsh.
“This donation represents a gift from the government and the people of Wales who have developed a strong relationship with Namibia over the past decade”, remarked Moore. Praises were extended in absentia to Professor Judith Hall from Wales, who leads the Phoenix Project.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of MIRCO, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, accepted the donation on behalf of the government, she said “International solidarity has been crucial in overcoming this pandemic, and this donation marks such solidarity”.
She further lauded Professor Kenneth Matengu, UNAM Vice-Chancellor, for representing Namibia exceptionally on the issue of COVID-19.
A key figure, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, Minister of Health and Social Services, also present at the event remarked: “This is yet another demonstration of true partnership and genuine solidarity in the fight against this deadly pandemic”. He further cautioned that the pandemic is not yet over and that much work lies ahead and urged every Namibian to heed the health regulations.
UNAM Vice-Chancellor of the University of Namibia, Co-lead of the Phoenix Project and Founder of UNAM Cares, Professor Kenneth Matengu remarked that “The donation is a result of a 9-year long partnership between the University of Namibia, the Phoenix Project of Cardiff University and the Welsh government. This partnership around COVID-19 has funded several projects to the tune of N$ 284 000 000”.
The Welsh government’s COVID-19 support through the Phoenix project has to date funded the University of Namibia’s Corporate Social Responsibility Project, UNAM Cares, COVID-19 Vaccination Health Promotion Campaign as well as a countrywide assessment of medical oxygen needs. This assessment resulted in the sponsorship of 4 bulk liquid oxygen tanks in Grootfontein, Gobabis, Katima Mulilo and Nkurenkuru.
Furthermore, the Phoenix project together with UNAM Cares, under the Oxygen Namibia Grant by the Welsh Government, trained 229 Nurses of the Ministry of Health and Social Services in Oxygen Therapy and Ventilation Case Management in the Khomas, Zambezi, Kavango, Oshikoto, //Karas, Omaheke and Hardap regions from September 2021 until 10 February 2022.”
