KATHMANDU, August 2: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has provided 800 units of medical oxygen cylinders worth Rs 11.9 million to Nepal on Monday. The oxygen cylinders were handed over by UNFPA Deputy Representative Dr. Hashina Begum to the Director of Management Division under the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) Dr. Bhim Singh Tinkari.
The support from UNFPA to the Government of Nepal was made possible under the existing South-South and Triangular Cooperation Project agreement between the Government of Nepal, Government of China, and the UNFP, according to a press statement issued by the UNFPA Office in Kathmandu.
As the number of COVID-19 infections are skyrocketing in recent days, Nepal has experienced a critical shortage of oxygen. The pandemic has put enormous pressure on health facilities across the country.
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Furthermore, the pandemic has affected the vulnerable populations including women of reproductive age who are facing greater barriers in accessing maternal health and family planning services, resulting in an increased number of home deliveries.
“While we are providing the critical support to the COVID-19 response efforts, we must ensure continuity of reproductive health services including consistent supply of contraceptives and essential reproductive health commodities to mitigate the impact of the unprecedented pandemic on women and girls,” the statement quoted UNFPA Representative to Nepal Lubna Baqi as saying.
UNFPA is also working with federal, provincial, and local governments and partners to ensure that special and unique needs of women and girls of reproductive age are addressed.
The organization has announced to continue its support towards the government’s COVID-19 response plans together with other UN agencies and development partners to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on progress towards the three transformative results -- ending preventable maternal deaths, ending unmet need for family planning, and ending gender based violence (GBV) and harmful practices.
