COVID-19: Ethiopia Needs 130 mln Medical Face Masks

ADDIS ABEBA – Ethiopia’s health minister said the country needs 130 million medical face masks in the next four months.

Minister of health Dr. Lia Tadesse said the government has so far distributed 7.3 million face makes to various medical institutions across the country.

“For the coming four months, however, healthcare facilities across the country will need 130 million face masks,” she said.

The country has 3.5 million surgical face masks in stockpile while 25 million more are expected to arrive here within “few weeks”.

Plans are underway to manufacture the face masks locally and the government is engaged to set the minimum quality standards for making PPE.

The government “is are helping importers as well as producers to expedite their effort to make face mask available,” she said

Ethiopia has been instrumental in distributing coronavirus supplies donated by China across the continent.

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Image: The health workers at Bole Chefe rigorously follow the protocol for proper protection when handling patients suspected to have coronavirus. [Photo Otto B.]