The Vice-President of the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, Finda Koroma, has reiterated the regional organisation’s readiness to advocate and garner support for member countries to fight the corona virus pandemic.
Koroma gave the assurance over the weekend in Abuja during the handover event of critical medical equipment from ECOWAS/WAHO to Ghana for response to the pandemic.
Some of the materials included Goggles, gloves, Full face shield, masks, sanitizers, throat swab, diagnostic test kits, ventilators among others.
The equipment and materials were funded by the the German Development Bank, ECOWAS and WAHO. Other donors and partners were German overseas development (BMZ) and GIZ.
Koroma, who thanked the German government for the gesture, hinted that the commission and WAHO have been working tirelessly to support ECOWAS States in the fight against Covid-19.
She said, “Most of the materials we are donating today were procured from funds provided to WAHO by BMZ and KFW while some are fund from ECOWAS and WAHO.
“The Commission will continue to advocate and garner support for the region in order to mitigate the negative health, economic and social impact that the pandemic has had in the life of member countries.”
While thanking President Muhammadu Buhari for championing the regional response against the scourge, she restated the commission’s resolved to give the fight a high priority.
Speaking earlier at the occasion, the Director General, WAHO, Professor Stanley Okolo, thanked the German government and other partners for its generosity, saying over $8million have so far been spent for procurement.
The GIZ/ECOWAS Cluster Coordinator, Ludwig Kirchner described Covid-19 as an international crisis that needed international solidarity.
He pledged the country’s continual support and co-operation in the fight to eliminate the virus.
The Acting Head of Mission, Ghana High Commission, Abuja, Ms Iva Denoo, who recievied the equipment on behalf of the Ghanian government, assured the donors and facilitators that the materials would go a long way to help her country fight the pandemic.
