The Steering Committee Meeting was held involving representatives from the Ministry of Health, the European Union and WHO Representative Office in Mongolia to review the 2nd year implementation and further planning of “Mongolia COVID-19 Crisis Response” project in the coming year. The following activities are highlighted from the project implementation results in Oct 2021 - Sep 2022:
- System for implementing multisource information surveillance system for COVID-19 developed: Daily aggregated data on health services from all 700 state health care facilities throughout Mongolia and 28 private clinics/hospitals are used for critical decision-making processes such as health care capacity and bed management in hospitals during emergency.
- Capacity of health systems through planning and review mechanisms strengthened: Recommendations for planning and interventions to strengthen preparedness and response were provided based on the assessment of health care facilities’ capacity of COVID-19 responses
- Capacity of laboratory staff to provide polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing strengthened: RT-PCR External Quality Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 virus was conducted twice by the National Reference Virology Laboratory to ensure accurate and qualified testing service to citizens during the pandemic. The assessment involved total of 83 (duplicated) laboratories in Ulaanbaatar city and the provinces. RT-PCR laboratory supplies were provided to the National reference laboratory of the National Center for Communicable Diseases.
- Post graduate short-term e-learning interactive training platform to build capacity of health care workers in delivery of essential health services launched: Total of 1,361 health care workers from Ulaanbaatar city and 21 provinces joined the e-learning interactive training and successfully completed the modules. Moreover, 55 health care workers from all 17 soum and family health centers of Dornogobi province received the classroom training on integrated primary health care services with reflection of “Leaving No One Behind” principle.
About the “Mongolia COVID-19 Crisis Response” project
A three-year joint project “Mongolia’s COVID-19 Crisis Response” was launched on 30 October 2020. The European Union is providing support of EUR 1 million and the WHO is providing EUR 62,000 and technical guidance to Mongolia’s health sector. The project is implemented by WHO Mongolia in collaboration with the Ministry of Health with focus on three specific areas: strengthening the capacity of the national health system to monitor, prevent, and control the spread and effects of COVID-19; strengthening laboratory capacity at national and sub-national levels; and ensuring continuity and quality of essential health care services during wide-spread community transmission and lockdown.