This archive report was first published on 1 July 2020.
On July 1, 2020, the European Union's Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department (ECHO) donated KES 270 million (2,573,105 Million Euros) to the World Health Organization (WHO) in Kenya. This grant will be used to support the Government of Kenya's efforts to control the spread of the pandemic.
The WHO will utilize the funds to train frontline health workers at national and county levels, strengthen the current work being done by the COVID-19 rapid response and clinical teams across all counties, and support risk communication and community engagement activities in identified hot spots.
"The grant comes at a critical time when we are dealing with community transmission and need urgent response measures to stop further spread," said Dr. Rudi Eggers, WHO Representative. He thanked the EU Ambassador to Kenya, Mr. Simon Mordue, for the funding, which will support WHO interventions in the county and the implementation of guidelines at national and county levels.
EU Ambassador Simon Mordue emphasized the importance of collaboration between the EU and the WHO in supporting countries and communities during the pandemic. "The EU is partnering with the WHO at this critical moment as it is the international organisation best placed to provide advice and concrete support to the specific COVID-19 related circumstances facing Kenya, based on its in-depth expertise," he said.
The EU's grant to Kenya is part of a larger effort to combat COVID-19 globally. The European Union and the World Health Organization are working together to provide resources to countries in need, with the EU contributing over Ksh 35 billion to Kenya's response to COVID-19 and EU Member States providing more than Ksh 3.3 billion.
