UNDP and the European Union to provide 15,000 additional respirators to meet rising demand

Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, 2 October 2020 – The European Union, together with the United Nations Development Programme, has donated an additional batch of 15,000 N95 valveless respirators to the Donetsk Oblast Emergency Medical Care and Disaster Medicine Centre in Kramatorsk and Clinical Hospital in Sievierodonetsk in Luhansk Oblast.

UNDP Resident Representative Dafina Gercheva said that in the face of the rapidly worsening epidemiological situation in Ukraine, it is very important to ensure there is the proper protection for health workers, who risk their own health every day while treating patients. 

“We're very grateful to all medical workers in eastern Ukraine who, despite the danger and high risks of contracting COVID-19, continue to do their jobs,” Gercheva said. “Thanks to cooperation with the European Union, we're continuing to protect doctors and build the capacity of medical institutions in eastern Ukraine, so they can more effectively respond to those in need.”

Stefan Schleuning, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Ukraine, referred to joint efforts of the EU and national and international partners to withstand the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine. “We sincerely thank the doctors and medical staff of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions for their daily work in these extreme conditions. The European Union will continue to support economic and social recovery in eastern Ukraine and help ensure the safety of healthcare workers”, said Mr. Schleuning.

The N95 respirator can block up to 95 percent of the smallest aerosol particles and filter the air, which may contain viruses and bacteria. This respirator provides better protection than a surgical mask or homemade protective equipment, as it fits tightly over the face and can filter out both large and small air particles.

Ihor Kiiashko, Head of the Regional Centre for Emergency Care and Disaster Medicine, thanked the international partners for responding to the needs of doctors the ongoing crisis. “This new shipment of N95 respirators will further bolster our defences and strengthen the resilience of the emergency medicine system in these difficult times,” he said.

The total cost of supplying the respirators is US$46,346, and was carried out under the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme, with financial support from the European Union.

Background

The United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (UN RPP) is being implemented by four United Nations agencies: the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Thirteen international partners support the Programme: the European Union (EU), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, and the governments of Canada, Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

Media enquiries

Maksym Kytsiuk, Communications Associate, the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme, maksym.kytsiuk@undp.org, +380 63 576 1839