The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) will provide emergency response assistance to China to help fight the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19). A related project document was signed today by Ambassador WANG Qun, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations in Vienna, and LI Yong, Director General of UNIDO.
UNIDO will quickly deliver 100,000 medical masks and 20,000 protective suits to China. It will also provide medical waste decontamination equipment, with capacity to deal with four tonnes of medical waste per day, for a newly established hospital. Videos and other remote training materials will educate staff in hospitals and disposal centres in both cities and in rural areas on the safe management of medical waste.
“The coronavirus disease was first detected in Wuhan, China, and continued to expand to other cities and countries. It has a significant impact on people’s lives, health, and overall socioeconomic development. The Chinese government has made great efforts to prevent and control the epidemic, adopted an open and transparent attitude towards the epidemic information, implemented comprehensive, positive and correct preventive and control measures, and the standards even exceeded the relevant requirements of the International Health Regulations. It has not only effectively protected the people’s health and safety of life, but also contributed to the maintenance of global public health security,” said Wang. “The project is urgently needed in China to protect medical staff and to prevent further spread of the coronavirus through medical waste. We thank UNIDO for its strong support and are willing to work with UNIDO and the international community to promote the development of world health.”
“The outbreak of Covid-19 brings new challenges to China, as the confirmed and suspected cases are still increasing,” said UNIDO’s Li. “New infections need to be minimized, including among medical staff who are the backbone of the fight against Covid-19. For this, protective equipment for medical staff is needed; but also ways to manage safely the hazards posed by medical waste. This is where UNIDO will make a difference with the support agreed today.”
Since 2008, UNIDO has assisted China in managing medical waste in a safe, environmentally sound manner. “Our transformative activities, implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, have systematically enhanced capacity on medical waste in more than 170 disposal centres and over 1,500 hospitals across the whole country,” said the UNIDO Director General.