The Global Fund contributes USD 6 million for Myanmar's COVID-19 response 08.04.2020

The Global Fund through its Principal Recipient Programme of the Asia Regional Health Cluster (ARHC), UNOPS supports the Government of Myanmar in its COVID-19 response with more than USD 6 million worth of medical equipment and supplies. 

As of today, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Myanmar totalled 22 with 818 suspected cases. The UNOPS ARHC has been working closely with the Ministry of Health and Sports in Myanmar to support the national response to the pandemic. Working with the Ministry and other technical experts, ARHC personnel have prepared and submitted a plan of response including a list of required equipment and supplies to the Global Fund which was subsequently approved. 

The procurement list includes equipment for supportive treatment, such as ventilators, as well as diagnosis and supplies for rapid diagnostics tests, such as additional four GeneXpert machines and 19,000 cartridges. There are already over 78 of such machines financed by the Global Fund installed in various parts of the country. The request also covers other laboratory and medical equipment such as High-speed Centrifuge, Bio-safety Cabinets, N95 respirators, infrared thermometers, examination gloves, surgical gloves, protective goggles, aprons and surgical masks. The support also includes the procurement of hand sanitizers totalling more than USD 700,000 which will be distributed to the health facilities in states and regions across the country. 

The support comes in addition to the 44,000 N95 masks of existing Global Fund financed stocks in the country, which were distributed nationwide to ensure safety of the health staff. This is based on original request from the National Tuberculosis Programme. 

The Global Fund acknowledged the direct threat of the COVID-19 pandemic on people affected or living with HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. Under the new guidelines issued in early March, the Global Fund encouraged countries to reprogramme savings from existing grants and to redeploy underutilized resources. Further, the Global Fund considers strengthening its response by providing flexibility for countries to use up to five per cent of approved grants to mitigate potential negative consequences of COVID-19 on health systems. 

UNOPS PR is also in preparation to increase the buffer stocks of essential life-saving commodities and pharmaceuticals for AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria to be available in 2021 to avoid risk of stockouts. 

Myanmar is among the eleven countries using Global Fund resources from grant savings in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.