France boosts Uganda's fight against COVID-19

The government response to the COVID -19 pandemic has got a boost following a donation of medical kits worth 10.8 billion Uganda shillings from the government of France.

The government of France has donated one million FFP2 face masks, fifty four thousand six hundred antigen testing kits and nine Osiris3 respirators to Uganda

His Excellence Jules-Armand Aniambossou, the Ambassador of France to Uganda handed over the items to the Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanjja   at the National Medical stores on Tuesday.

The Ambassador of France said that the donation was a gesture of solidarity towards a friendly country in the fight against a common enemy.

In recognition of Uganda’s exemplary fight against the corona virus, the Ambassador expressed the hope that the new donation would contribute to the government’s interventions against the new wave

Prime Minister Nabbanja thanked the Government and people of France for “this generous donation of items that will help in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The Prime Minister called for more international solidarity, especially in accessing COVID 19 vaccines, saying that the fight against the disease is one that can only be won when the international community acts collectively and in solidarity.

In March this year France donated 175,200 doses of the Astra Zeneca vaccines that came through the Covax facility.

Since the outbreak of Corona Virus disease, France has extended support to Uganda including more than 50,000 litres of alcohol-based hand sanitizers that was donated to the UPDF,  as well as 15,000 euros from the French Embassy to support the development of simple, rapid, low-cost COVID-19 diagnostic tests by Makerere University school of public health.