US donates 16 vehicles to health ministry
The health ministry received 16 vehicles from the US government to assist with the ministry's Mentorship Programme, which was introduced in 2015.
The 2023 Toyota Hilux Raider double cabs were purchased at a cost of N$12 million.
Earlier this year, the ministry received eight 4x4 multipurpose field vehicles, including a well-equipped ambulance, to cater for rapid response in emergency operations from the World Health Organisation.
This donation formed part of a Memorandum of Agreement between WHO and the ministry under the Emergency Preparedness and Response Flagship Initiative.
Outreach
The mentorship programme was introduced in 2015 as part of the acceleration plan to reach HIV epidemic control by 2030, in line with the UNAIDS Fast Track Targets of 90-90-90.
Clinical mentors, recruited with funding from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), provide support to healthcare workers involved in the national HIV response.
Health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula said: “I appreciate the fact I can witness and participate for the second time in the handover of mentorship vehicles. The mentorship vehicles are not only a mode of transportation but are vehicles symbolic of the connections we forge and the paths we traverse together.”
Shangula said the vehicles will transport mentors' teams to carry out their day-to-day activities at the site level within their regions and districts, transport them to attend different meetings across the country, and support other programmes such as differentiated service delivery and the Namibian Treatment Adherence Supports.
The US ambassador to Namibia, Randy Berry, commended health ministry staff for the distances they travel "to ensure that healthcare services reach people in the most remote areas of the country.
"The dedication, commitment, and energy these healthcare providers give to their jobs is truly commendable. On behalf of the United States, I am proud to be here today to hand over 16 vehicles to the Ministry of Health and Social Services."
The vehicles were provided by the CDC, with funding from the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
The vehicles will enable the clinical mentors in all 14 regions of the country to more frequently and more efficiently visit clinics throughout the country, he said.
The 2023 Toyota Hilux Raider double cabs were purchased at a cost of N$12 million.
Earlier this year, the ministry received eight 4x4 multipurpose field vehicles, including a well-equipped ambulance, to cater for rapid response in emergency operations from the World Health Organisation.
This donation formed part of a Memorandum of Agreement between WHO and the ministry under the Emergency Preparedness and Response Flagship Initiative.
Outreach
The mentorship programme was introduced in 2015 as part of the acceleration plan to reach HIV epidemic control by 2030, in line with the UNAIDS Fast Track Targets of 90-90-90.
Clinical mentors, recruited with funding from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), provide support to healthcare workers involved in the national HIV response.
Health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula said: “I appreciate the fact I can witness and participate for the second time in the handover of mentorship vehicles. The mentorship vehicles are not only a mode of transportation but are vehicles symbolic of the connections we forge and the paths we traverse together.”
Shangula said the vehicles will transport mentors' teams to carry out their day-to-day activities at the site level within their regions and districts, transport them to attend different meetings across the country, and support other programmes such as differentiated service delivery and the Namibian Treatment Adherence Supports.
The US ambassador to Namibia, Randy Berry, commended health ministry staff for the distances they travel "to ensure that healthcare services reach people in the most remote areas of the country.
"The dedication, commitment, and energy these healthcare providers give to their jobs is truly commendable. On behalf of the United States, I am proud to be here today to hand over 16 vehicles to the Ministry of Health and Social Services."
The vehicles were provided by the CDC, with funding from the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
The vehicles will enable the clinical mentors in all 14 regions of the country to more frequently and more efficiently visit clinics throughout the country, he said.
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