Hanoi (VNA) – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)is providing Vietnam with hand sanitiser as support for the country in thefight against COVID-19.
In the first phase, the UNFPA will supply 7,000 bottles ofhand sanitiser which are set to be distributed to the frontline hospitals in Hanoi.
UNFPA Representative in Vietnam Naomi Kitahara said it isnecessary to support the Ministry of Health and medical workers, especiallythose working in the frontline, since they have to risk their health to protectother people’s health and prevent the disease from spreading.
Protecting medical workers from getting infected must be thetop priority throughout the process of response to the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.
Kitahara noted the UNFPA wants to show its solidarity with allVietnamese people, adding that together with UN organisations, the UNFPA alwaysstands ready to assist Vietnam with everything possible to help the country fightagainst this pandemic.
Special attention should also be paid to vulnerable groups,including pregnant women, Kitahara said.
Appreciating the UNFPA’s assistance to Vietnam, a leader of the Health Ministry stressed that protecting all people’ health in theCOVID-19 pandemic is the top priority of the Government, which has also givenspecial focus to vulnerable groups and frontline medical workers.
Likeother emergency situations, the COVID-19 pandemic could hamper people’s accessto essential reproductive health services and reduce authorities’ capacity of respondingto gender violence in the time women and girls are in need of those services.
The UNFPA has called on partners to jointlyhelp Vietnam in the COVID-19 combat by providing essential products for thedisease prevention and control, especially for high-risk groups like pregnantwomen and those susceptible to gender violence./.