The Covid-19 Action Fund for Africa (CAF-Africa) has donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the health ministry in DR Congo to protect the nation’s cadre of community health workers (CHWs). CAF-Africa is an action-oriented collaborative of over 30 organizations dedicated to protecting CHWs in Africa’s COVID-19 response.
CAF-Africa donated over 2 million PPE to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The shipment contained 973,000 gowns, 768,000 masks, 486,000 N95s–the PPE required to safeguard both primary workers and community health workers providing services at the last-mile.
According to the World Health Organization, there has been a 203 percent increase in Covid-19 infections amongst health care workers in Africa caused by a lack of PPE. Community health workers provide essential health services such as integrated community case management as well as COVID-19 specific activities. Without adequate PPE, they can neither fight COVID nor ensure communities have access to routine healthcare services.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, global demand for PPE has grown by a factor of 100, and prices are up to 20 times higher. While a worldwide shortage of PPE affects all health workers, the brunt has fallen on low- and middle-income countries and community health workers in particular.
The PPE donations already made by CAF-Africa will protect 200,000 CHWs safeguarding community health services during the pandemic.
Including Central Africa, CAF-Africa has donated PPE to various countries in East, South, and West Africa. The COVID-19 Action Fund for Africa’s goal is to raise $100 million to supply PPE to CHWs over 20 African countries for approximately one year.