On Tuesday, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced it was sending 122 tons of lifesaving medicines and supplies to Libya. An estimated 225,000 women and children will benefit from these supplies.
UNICEF clarified that this medical aid comes amid the implementation of an integrated maternal-child healthcare program. This program is meant to ensure that quality, primary healthcare for women, new borns and children are strengthened to avoid preventable deaths among vulnerable populations.
“Maternal and child health remains a major challenge, especially in the developing world, where one woman in the world dies every minute from complications of childbirth,” said UNICEF Special Representative in Libya, Abdul Rahman Ghandour.
Consultations with the Ministry of Health, have allowed UNICEF to identify the most vulnerable municipalities in need of health facilities throughout the country, especially those affected by migration flows.
The organization is confident that this program will have a positive and far-reaching impact on the wider population. This is good news for Libya, which has been working to provide medical services amid the COVID-19 crisis.
“I am proud to cooperate with the Ministry of Health in Libya, which aims to improve the life-saving services for mothers and their children in 26 municipalities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Ghandour stated.