LUSAKA – Today, Lt. Colonel Erick Jordan, the U.S. Embassy’s Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché, turned over personal protective equipment (PPE) and other infection control supplies to Dr. Felix V. Phiri, Permanent Secretary at the Zambian Ministry of Defense. The donation, valued at K1.5 million, will support the Ministry of Defense and the Defense Force of Zambia manage the spread of COVID-19.
At the behest of the Ministry of Defense, the U.S. government, through U.S. Africa Command, secured the PPE and other supplies in support of the Zambian government’s inter-ministerial measures to contain the spread of this unprecedented public health crisis.
The PPE donation includes: 8,000 surgical masks, 8,600 N-95 respirator masks, 4,500 examination gloves, 7,000 hand sanitizer bottles, and over 200 containers of chlorine disinfectant supplies. These donated items will benefit both military and civilian frontline healthcare workers from the 57 Defense Force of Zambia military health facilities throughout Zambia that serve a population of approximately 400,000.
“COVID-19 has changed how we conduct our daily lives and, in some cases, generated fear and uncertainties in our communities, said Lt. Colonel Erick Jordan. “This contribution will greatly strengthen Zambia’s ability to respond to the COVID-19 threat and continue to serve as testament to the longstanding bilateral security cooperation between the United States and the Republic of Zambia.”
The U.S. government is contributing nearly $10 million (K180 million) in health assistance to help Zambia respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. This assistance includes technical expertise and resources courtesy of the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Defense, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
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