ANTANANARIVO —Front-line health care workers in Toliara and Moramanga received 4,000 additional medical grade face coverings to protect them from COVID-19. 

The donation is thanks to a collaborative effort between the United States Africa Command, which provided the funds to buy the locally-made face coverings, the Madagascar Ministry of Public Health, which identified the areas for the face coverings to be delivered, and USAID Madagascar, whose IMPACT health project operated by PSI Madagascar arranged for the delivery of the protective equipment via the Regional Directorates of Health to the front-line workers.  The donation in Moramanga was also supported by staff from the USAID RANO WASH project.

Dr. Fanjambololoniaina Rasamoelina, the Regional Director of Public Health for Atsimo Andrefana says the face coverings will be put to good use.  “Faced with such a contagious disease our health workers are always exposed to a high risk of infection,” stated Dr. Rasamoelina.  “We will give these face coverings to our healthcare professionals in hospitals, workers at medical checkpoints, teams in charge of conducting surveillance and reporting, disinfection teams, and personnel performing health care investigations.”

Moramanga has experienced a number of confirmed COVID-19 cases.  Emergency nurse Zakanirisoa Sitraka Rasolofomanana has been directly caring for such patients.  She explains that personal protective equipment, like these face coverings, is essential to keep health personnel safe and prevent further spread of COVID-19 to the community.  “I am in direct contact with the sick,” says Nurse Rasolofomanana.  “Protective equipment is very useful and of great importance. It protects us, but also our families and our colleagues.”

This donation comes in addition to $2.5 million in emergency funding already provided by the United States to support the Government of Madagascar's response to the threat of COVID-19 and the repurposing of another $2.2 million worth of planned activities under USAID’s health projects to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Those funds and activities have been used to contain the spread of the virus and identify, diagnose, and treat COVID-19 patients.  This has been done by strengthening Madagascar’s infectious disease surveillance and testing capabilities, raising public awareness about the coronavirus and how to stay safe, training and protecting health workers, and improving the detection and rapid response to new COVID-19 cases.

Front-line health care workers in Toliara and Moramanga received 4,000 additional medical grade face coverings to protect them from COVID-19.

Photo: USAID / RANO WASH