The first batch of 10,000 test kits procured by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) with the support from GAVI (the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization), were handed over to the Ministry of Health and Sports shortly after arrival at the Yangon International Airport yesterday.
Ms. June Kunugi, UNICEF Representative to Myanmar, handed over the test kits to Dr Thar Tun Kyaw, Director-General of the Office of the Ministry of Health and Sports. “The test kits arrived today are for the COBAS 6800 machine equipped at the National Health Laboratory (Yangon). Today, we received 10,000 test kits. More will come soon,” said Dr Thar Tun Kyaw. With the financial support of GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, 30,000 test kits were brought by the government, under the UNICEF programme, and 10,000 test kits arrived so far.
The 10,000 test kits and other things arrived yesterday worth US$155,913, according to Dr Thar Tun Kyaw.
As international commercial flights remain temporarily suspended as part of the measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19, the World Food Programme (WFP), on behalf of the United Nations in Myanmar, is launching a series of humanitarian flights linking Yangon and Kuala Lumpur to bring in humanitarian cargo and personnel.
Financial support from the European Union and Switzerland has made it possible for WFP to establish the first stage of the humanitarian flight service linking Yangon with Kuala Lumpur on a weekly basis. Each flight can bring to Myanmar up to two metric tons of humanitarian cargo.
Similarly, to prevent, contain and give treatment on the COVID-19 disease, India, China, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Japan also provided medicines, medical equipment and health related assistance to Myanmar. —Zaw Gyi
