POPULATION Services Zimbabwe (PSZ) in partnership with the Swedish Embassy, has donated US$16 000 worth of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to Matebeleland South province to complement government efforts towards fighting the Covid-19 menace in the country.
At a handover ceremony held at the Gwanda Provincial Hospital last week Friday, PSZ director Pester Siraha said through funding from the Swedish Embassy, the organisation was working towards the ministry of healthโs mandate to fight the deadly pandemic.
โWe are facing an unprecedented global health threat due to Covid-19.
โThis has resulted in huge costs being incurred in the procurement and provision of PPEs.
โIn order to fulfil our mandate to complement efforts by the Ministry of Health and Child Care, we are here to present a consignment of PPE materials for use by family planning units in the 18 public health facilities under the public sector strengthening support channel.
โWe are fully aware that the challenge we face today requires more co-operation with the private sector, business community, donors, civil society and other stakeholders.
โItโs our hope that this small gesture will go a long way in ensuring the safety of frontline workers and ensure service provision continuity.
โI also want to assure you that PSZ remains committed to complementing the Ministry of Health.โ
She reaffirmed the organisationโs commitment to fulfilling its mandate aimed at increasing access to comprehensive family planning, sexual reproductive health and general health services.
โWe have reached a number of milestones in the province which include more than 4 456 mobile outreach visits that we have conducted in the province and we have provided over 300 000 services to men and women in the province.
โOur current operations in the province are being funded by the embassy of Sweden.
โIn 2020 alone, we managed to provide 20 000 people with comprehensive sexual health reproductive services of which 10 percent were adolescents and 10 percent were people with disabilities,โ said Siraha.
