USAID Contribution Worth $1,400,000 to UNICEF Albania to Combat Ongoing Outbreak of Coronavirus

TIRANA – UNICEF in Albania, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and local partners are working to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 outbreak in Albania, has said a press release issued by the Tirana based UNICEF Office on Tuesday.
“It is critical to communicate to the public what is known about the pandemic, what is unknown, what is being done, and actions to prevent the spread of the disease,” said the statement which noted that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused an unprecedented global crisis causing health, humanitarian, socio-economic and human rights issues.
“In addition to heavily impacting on public health system, COVID-19 also disrupted the day-to-day lives of children as they lost access to critical basic social services.”
The Ministry of Health and Social Protection is joining forces with UNICEF and USAID to launch a new nationwide campaign called “Superheroes wear masks and hug with heart” to promote COVID-19 prevention, announced the press release. “The campaign, which is officially launched on Tuesday, 8 September is combining a series of initiatives, including hygiene education, health promotion to improve general awareness of COVID-19, and the ways to prevent its transmission.”
#SuperheroesWearsMask campaign is targeting children, families, and teachers, through traditional and digital platforms. Giving details on the campaign procedures UNICEF Office in Tirana said that through social media, daily tailored messages will be sent to various audiences across the country and the campaign aims at reaching 1 million people via TV and UNICEF online platforms.
UNICEF works to meet the needs of children, communities, health systems and health structures, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and address the immediate health and socio-economic impact of the pandemic on children, and youth, especially the most vulnerable.
Speking in concrete terms the statement said currently, UNICEF is providing accurate information on disease prevention and subjects like personal and family hygiene. It is also supplying materials and disinfectants to preschools, schools and health clinics with the goal of promoting recommended hygiene practices and supporting safe operation of preschools, schools and health institutions.
UNICEF expressed its very grateful to USAID and the citizens of the United States for the generous support they have provided. “To date, USAID has provided approximately US$ 1.4 million to UNICEF Albania through a Global USAID / UNICEF Umbrella Grant.”
In conclusion the statement said: “UNICEF Albania works closely with the Government of Albania to improve the country’s health sector – particularly in areas connected to maternal, newborn and child care. UNICEF Albania will work within the United Nations-led architecture, in close coordination with WHO, under the leadership of the national government system and with civil society partners to protect children and their families from exposure to COVID-19 and minimize mortality./argumentum.al