An NGO, AIDs Prevention Initiative in Nigeria (APIN), has donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) consisting of face masks, hand sanitisers, infrared thermometer and disposable laboratory coats to the Plateau government.
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Dr Prosper Okonkwo, the Chief Executive Officer of APIN, said that the presentation of the items on Monday in Jos said the donation was part of its contribution to the state, towards combating the spread of COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Represented by Dr Emeka Ibilibor, the state coordinator, Okonkwo said the APIN works in seven states in Nigeria to mitigate public health diseases.
He added that the organisation has been supporting Plateau in combating diseases outbreak like Ebola.
He said that the same effort is being replicated with the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Okonkwo appreciated the Plateau government for creating an enabling environment for NGOs to operate in the state.
He said that the organisation has Emergency, Community, Health and Outreaches (ECHO) infrastructure to deliver critical information on disease outbreak to the general public.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Nimkong Ndam, who received the items, thanked APIN for supporting Plateau towards combating the COVID-19.
He said the state currently has three confirmed cases of coronavirus disease.
Ndam explained that the recent two confirmed cases were from Mangu and have since been taken to the isolation centres for treatment.
He said the other suspects would be monitored for an additional 14 days, due to their interaction with the confirmed cases.
He thanked APIN for its support and urged other NGOs to assist the state government in its efforts to combat the disease, saying the pandemic required public-private collaborations.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the PPE items donated included 32 packs of Nose packs, 14 cartoons of disposable lab coats, 306 pieces of face masks, 20 pieces of infrared temperature scan and 180 bottles of hand sanitisers.