The “Strengthening health systems capacity in response to COVID-19 outbreak in Mongolia” project supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Health Organization (WHO) handed over essential medical equipment and critical supplies to the Ministry of Health and local health departments to strengthen COVID-19 response and preparedness, and to support integrated primary health care (PHC) services throughout the nation.
The handover ceremony took place at the Ministry of Health, and was attended by Dr Ts. Erdembileg, State Secretary, Minister of Health, Mr Steve Winkates, Acting Senior Development Advisor, USAID Mongolia, Dr P. Anuzaya, WR/OiC, WHO CO Mongolia and directors of province health departments. During the handover activity, Dr B. Altanzagas, WHO Technical Officer, introduced the brief introduction and implementation of the project “Strengthening health systems capacity in response to COVID-19 outbreak in Mongolia” and previous project on COVID-19 response and preparedness funded by USAID in 2020.
The following medical equipment and critical supplies received at MoH will be further distributed to family health centers and referral hospitals in Ulaanbaatar city and soum & province health centers.
- Ventilators for COVID-19 intensive care for infants to be used at referral hospitals in Ulaanbaatar city and provinces.
- Spirometers for monitoring post-COVID-19 health status to be used at soum health centers.
- Emergency care supply set for soum and family health centers. 1 set is consisted of 6 types of equipment.
- mHealth set to support integrated PHC services. 1 set is consisted of 8 types of equipment.
Following the handover, capacity building trainings for health workers are planned to be conducted in November – December 2022 with technical support from WHO CO Mongolia.
About “Strengthening health systems capacity in response to COVID-19 outbreak in Mongolia” project
A one-year joint project “Strengthening health systems capacity in response to COVID-19 outbreak in Mongolia” was launched in October 2021. The United States Agency for International Development is provided USD1.5 million and WHO is providing technical guidance to Mongolia’s health sector. The project is being implemented by WHO Mongolia focusing on the areas of: Providing urgent medical equipment and critical devices to health care facilities; Preparing for a possible stage 3 COVID-19 outbreak; and Improving essential health delivery and COVID-19 related health services at health care facility level.