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The European Union funds a new health project through International Medical Corps in Libya in light of the COVID-19 emergency

16.06.2020
Tripoli

Within the framework of the European Union (EU) Trust Fund for Africa, the EU provides €1 million to International Medical Corps (IMC) in Libya for a new program which aims to support the country’s health system by providing health services to vulnerable populations most affected by conflict and the challenging situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic.


 

As of 13 June 2020, a total of 418 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Libya. As in most countries around the globe, these numbers can be considered to be underestimated due to the limited number of tests available.Internally displaced persons, migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, as well as people with disabilities, elderly people, women, and children are especially vulnerable in this situation of global pandemic.

Through this project, IMC will equip and train the staff of two primary healthcare centers and one hospital in Tripoli to respond to the challenges caused by COVID-19 and enable them to continue to provide normal healthcare services. One of the main challenges in Libya is a shortage of personal protective equipment (masks, gloves, respirator masks, etc.), which is essential to keep health workers and patients safe from infection. This project will distribute this essential equipment to the staff of these facilities and train them on the correct use of it as well as on the correct treatment of suspected/confirmed COVID-19 patients. To support the hospital, IMC will also work closely with the Libyan Ministry of Health and National Center for Disease Control to expand the physical and operational capacity of the hospital’s Isolation Unit with added beds, furniture and wall dividers. Training will cover more than the health impacts of COVID-19 to enable health workers to respond to the psychological effects of the virus and movement restrictions on patients.

Vulnerable populations such IDPs, migrants and refugees in Tripoli will benefit from improved access to healthcare through these facilities. IMC will also provide a mobile medical team tasked with providing essential health services to these populations. Given 

that these groups often have difficulty accessing reliable information about health services available to them, IMC will continue its work with migrant Community Health Workers that began under a previous EUTF-funded health project. The Community Health Workers will act as ambassadors in their communities, providing reliable information about COVID-19 and other common illnesses afflicting their communities.

This action builds on previous projects implemented by IMC and supported by the European Union, including the recently completed project “Strengthening Protection and Resilience of Displaced Populations in Libya - Increasing access to Primary Health Care for Mixed Migrants and Displaced Libyans” . The project is implemented in coordination with other activities that IMC is currently implementing to respond to the ongoing global emergency caused by COVID-19.

This recently completed project, implemented by a consortium of four INGOs, ending in May 2020, successfully met its objectives, benefiting over 71,163 people in some of the most underserved areas of Tripoli and Misrata. Notable achievements included providing psycho-social support to 3,442 targeted refugees, migrants, IDPs and host community members; the provision of 9,016 primary and reproductive health consultations; and 28,872 refugees, migrants, IDPs, and host community members reached through awareness campaigns.

 “Rehabilitating healthcare centres, providing adequate training to medical staff and essential medical equipment, are key in elements of our support to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, while the EU continues to work with its partners to achieving peace in Libya through the Berlin process.

IMC is one of the main partners of the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa with whom we work very closely to support health system to provide quality services to the Libyan population and improve access to healthcare in particular for vulnerable groups such as internal displaced persons, migrants and refugees” stated the Ambassador of the European Union to Libya, Mr Alan Bugeja.

IMC is proud to expand its partnership with the European Union, adding to its large portfolio of activities supporting essential healthcare services in Libya.

For more information, please contact:

  • Claudio Colantoni – IMC Country Director Libya
  • Jack Hukill – IMC Program Director Libya

Twitter: @EUinLibya #EU #AfricaTrustFund

For more information on the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa and its support to Libya, please visit the following webpage: https://ec.europa.eu/trustfundforafrica/region/north-africa/libya_en