UNICEF/World Bank airlift 48 metric tons of medicines and equipment in support of Government efforts to fight Ebola

Freetown, 5 September 2014 – With funds from the World Bank, UNICEF has procured and facilitated the delivery of 48 metric tons of assorted drugs and other medical supplies worth over $ 825,000 for the treatment of people who have contracted Ebola in Sierra Leone.

A chartered UN cargo aircraft landed today with the drugs and medical supplies at Lungi International Airport in the early hours of the morning. The supplies include latex gloves, intravenous fluids, assorted antibiotics and personal protective equipment—supplies that are urgently needed to fight the Ebola epidemic.

“The World Bank is committed to improving the health of the people of Sierra Leone and eliminating Ebola, which is taking so many lives and undermining the great development gains Sierra Leone has made in recent years”, said Ato Brown, the World Bank’s Country Manager in Sierra Leone.

The funding from the World Bank comes from its $200 million pledge last month to help Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone contain the spread of Ebola, help their communities cope with the economic impact of the crisis, and improve public health systems throughout West Africa.

Within 36 hours of placing the order, the items were dispatched and reached Sierra Leone. The supplies have been transferred to the Central Medical Store in Freetown for immediate dispatch to different Ebola holding/treatment centres.

“These supplies were identified by the Emergency Operations Center as crucial in the fight against Ebola in the country and as soon as we received the go-ahead we responded, we will continue to boost the Ministry of Health and Sanitation’s response mechanism to tackle the disease”, said Roeland Monasch, UNICEF Representative to Sierra Leone.

UNICEF supports activities within the different pillars under the Ebola Operations Center, including the Social Mobilization, Surveillance and Laboratory, Case Management, Logistics and Child Protection/Social Protection pillars.

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For more information about UNICEF and its work please visit: www.unicef.org

Issa Davies, Communication Officer, External Relations and Advocacy, UNICEF, idavies@unicef.org Tel: + (232) 76 601 310

About UNICEF

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

For more information about The World Bank and its work, please contact:

The World Bank Group

Freetown: Sheriff Mamud Ismail, Communications Specialist

Tel: + (232) 76 280 641 sismail1@worldbank.org

www.worldbank.org/en/country/sierraleone
About the World Bank in Sierra Leone:

The World Bank works closely with development partners to support Sierra Leone in fighting poverty, promoting economic development and improving living standards