W.H.O Donates 26 Ventilators, Finger Tip Oximeters To Nigeria As Third Wave of COVID-19 Looms

Twenty-six ventilators and 3,560 fingertip oximeters have been donated to Nigeria by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the management of patients in isolation and treatment facilities, as well as home-based patients in Nigeria.

WHO Country Representative, Dr Walter Kazadi presented the donation to the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, on Thursday in Abuja

He said Nigeria had performed relatively well in terms of timely containing each of the last two waves and maintaining a national case fatality rate of 1.3 per cent, a level that was half the regional average.

He said since the first case of COVID-19 in Nigeria on February 27th, 2020, Nigeria had passed through the stages of having sporadic cases, clusters of cases and community transmission.

Dr. Kazadi noted that with the COVID-19 outbreak reaching a stage with increasing numbers in the country, and around the globe, it was imperative to have a strong response in all pillars.

The WHO country representative said he believed the donation would complement government’s notable initiatives.

He added that the donation would also help to address identified gaps in readiness for the third wave that was being driven by the COVID-19 Delta variant.

On his part, Nigeria’s Minister of Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire appreciated the organisation and UN agencies that had contributed in training staff to carry out their functions properly.

He said the ministry would ensure adequate distribution of the items donated as some areas may need it more than others.