United Nations, World Health Organization to continue backing Moldova's efforts to combat pandemic situation

Chisinau, 25 November /MOLDPRES/ - Prime Minister Ion Chicu today had a meeting with United Nations Resident Coordinator in Moldova Simon Springett and the head of the office of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Moldova, Igor Pokanevych. The official exchanged opinions on actions recommended, in order to diminish the number of infections with COVID-19. Attending the meeting was Health, Labour and Social Protection Minister Viorica Dumbraveanu, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.     
Ion Chicu made an analysis of the pandemic situation in Moldova, noting that the country had reached a figure of 100,000 people infected with the new virus. ‘’We want to see what measures we can still undertake to stabilize the pandemic situation. We now work on elaborating a list with actions on managing the epidemiological situation. On 27 November, we will approve it at a meeting of the National Extraordinary Public Health Commission and we will take the concerned decisions,’’ Ion Chicu said.    
The PM said that the authorities were undertaking all measures to enhance the capacities of the medical system, stressing that he was concerned about the alarming tendency of infection.   
Igor Pokanevych assured that Moldova was to receive a consignment of medical technology and equipment on behalf of the European Union, including 40 ventilation apparatus needed in the fight against COVID-19.
Also, the discussions were focused on purchasing the anti-COVID-19 vaccine. The prime minister took knowledge of the period when the vaccine can reach Moldova, in what quantities and which are the stages necessary to be covered, in order to buy the vaccine.
The head of the WHO office in Moldova said that, in several weeks, he would avail of concrete information on the matter and at the moment the list of vaccines’ producers was considered. The first consignments of vaccines would be enough for about 30 per cent of Moldova’s residents.
„We need a plan of communication and informing the society about the important aspects it must know about the anti-COVID-19 vaccination. We will need WHO’s support in this respect,’’ Ion Chicu said.
Simon Springett and Igor Pokanevych gave assurances that the United Nations and the World Health Organization would continue backing Moldova’s efforts in combating the pandemic situation.
photo: Government