EDTF Supports Ethiopia’s COVID-19 Response with $1.173 mln worth of PPE

ADDIS ABEBA – The Ethiopian Diaspora Trust Fund or EDTF says it has procured Protective Personal Equipment (PPE) and related medical supplies worth USD1.173 million to support frontline health personnel working to in the fight against COVID-19 in Ethiopia.

The EDTF says, in a statement sent to The Monitor, it recognizes COVID-19 is an existential threat to the wellbeing and livelihood of the Ethiopian people, particularly the most disadvantaged segments of the population EDTF is established to serve.

The fund has established an Implementation Committee (IC) to liaise with Ethiopia’s Ministries of Finance and Health regarding the items and supplies needed to combat the pandemic and undertake the required steps to secure the supplies.

The EDTF IC managed to procure various medical supplies from SNS Global Pharma Corporation and will be shipped to Ethiopia to help front-line health care workers.

“EDTF is doing everything possible to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic impact in Ethiopia,” said Alemayehu G. Mariam (Prof.), Chairperson of the EDTF Advisory Council.

“We allocated USD1million initial start-up from the EDTF ongoing fund and mobilized an additional USD 130 thousand to-date under a new EDTF COVID-19 Mitigation subaccount,” he continued.

Alemayehu said the latest support will be used “by the front-line health care staff in hospitals around the country but targeting, in particular, those hospitals and health facilities in more disadvantaged areas”.

“I thank once again the Ethiopian Diaspora in 93 countries that continue to contribute to EDTF helping it finance critical needs of disadvantaged Ethiopians,” he added.