Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - TheUnited Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on April 12 donated 20,000high-quality surgical masks to Vietnam’s Ministry of Health (MoH) to helpprotect health care workers on the frontlines of fighting the COVID-19pandemic.

Handing over the masks to theMinistry of Health, UNDP Resident Representative Caitlin Wiesen congratulated Vietnam forits success in combating COVID19, with more than half of the COVID-19 patientsfully recovered.

She reiterated the UNDP’scommitment to support this effort, building on the existing memorandum ofunderstanding signed between UNDP and MoH supporting the health sector onreadiness in response to climate change and capacity building for centralisedprocurement.

“The global COVID-19 pandemic hastriggered a shortage of critical personal protective equipment, putting healthcare workers at risk,” she said.

“UNDP is helping the Ministryof Health procure critically needed personal protective equipment (PPE) andother medical supplies to support doctors, nurses and health staff at thefrontline of this crisis”.

“We highly appreciate UNDP’spresent of 20,000 masks for health and its assistance in procuring N95 masksfor the disease prevention and control work,” said Nguyen Nam Lien, DirectorGeneral of the MoH’s Department of Planning and Finance.

UNDP has been working closelywith relevant ministries and UN organisations to support Vietnamto respond to COVID-19, as part of its mission to eradicate poverty,reduce inequalities and build resilience to crisis and shocks.

In response to COVID-19, the UNDPis working with the Ministry of Health and WHO in the communication campaign'Spreading the word – #LeaveNoOneBehind' to reach out to ethnic minoritypeople and people with disabilities. The campaign promotes COVID-19 preventionmessages through animation and other communication means in ethnic minority andsign languages.

In addition, UNDP incollaboration with UNWomen is conducting a rapid assessment of economic impactsof the crisis by surveying about 600 vulnerable households and 500 micro-,small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). This will contribute to theCOVID-19 Impact Assessment led by the National Centre for Information andForecast of the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

In the longer term, UNDP willlook at innovative ways to support Vietnam to better prevent and manage suchcrises and ensure the country makes full use of the lessons learned from thiscrisis to build back better./.