COVID-19: WSUP presents PPE to two institutions

The Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP), a non-governmental organisation has presented Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and the Accra Metropolitan Education Directorate to support their efforts towards combatting the COVID-19 pandemic.

The items included hand washing stations and accessories, hand washing bowls, sanitisers, soaps, nose masks, and tissue papers worth thousands of cedis.

The gesture formed part of the implementation of a COVID-19 elimination programme rolled out by the WSUP with support from the UK Government, Unilever, and the Hygiene and Behaviour Change Coalition (HBCC).

Presentation

Presenting the items at a brief ceremony at the premises of the AMA in Accra last Wednesday, the Accra Project Officer for the WSUP, Mr. John Alate said the gesture was in keeping with the organisation’s resolve to build the capacities of institutions involved in the fight against the pandemic.

“This donation is just one of the series of programmes we've been implementing from last year when the pandemic broke out and we have helped built the capacities of a number of institutions and service providers. This is to help strengthen their work at the community and at the school level,” he said.

He expressed confidence that the items would also contribute to improving hygiene related practices among the vulnerable in the project implementation areas – Accra, Kumasi and Tamale.

He further indicated that 13 more Municipal Assemblies in Accra, including the La Dade-Kotopon, Ledzokuku, Krowor, Adentan, Ablekuma Central, and Okaikoi North Municipal Assemblies will also be presented with equipment in the coming weeks to support their COVID-19 response initiatives.

“Same items will also be presented to selected assemblies and institutions in the cities of Kumasi and Tamale in the coming weeks,” Mr Alate added.

Timely support

The Chief Executive of the AMA, Mr. Mohammed Adjei Sowah, who received the items, said the support was timely particularly at a time when the country was experiencing a surge in active COVID-19 cases.

He said the Assembly had stepped up efforts in enforcing the COVID-19 preventive protocols in the metropolis by deploying Metro Guards to monitor and enforce compliance.

“Certainly the city needs more than these items than ever largely because we are aware that the cases of COVID is going up and there's a need to step up our campaign to ensure compliance of the preventive protocols,” he said.

The Accra Metro Director of Education, Mr. Stephen Abanfo, expressed profound gratitude to the WSUP for the support, assuring that the office would ensure that the COVID-19 protocols is roundly complied with in all the schools within the metropolis.