AHF Eswatini Prevention Program Manager Thulani Mthethwa and Program Manager Dr. Nkululeko Dube present items to Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi with Dr. Simon Zwane.
The Eswatini National AIDS Program office was the site of an AHF Eswatini donation of nearly $7,000 in personal protective equipment (PPE) last month to the government to help support frontline health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Donated items included surgical scrubs and gloves, N95 face masks, full-faced goggles, and disposable water aprons.
“Even though our focus in Eswatini is primarily HIV/AIDS, COVID-19 has changed the situation everywhere and for everyone,” said Dr. Nkululeko Dube, Country Program Manager for AHF Eswatini. “We are all at risk of contracting the novel coronavirus, and especially those healthcare workers who spend most of their time attending to the sick in the country. Without adequate PPE, they cannot properly execute their duties because they will not feel safe.”
Health Minister Lizzie Nkosi added that in the past, workers faced challenges accessing PPE and had to continue working regardless if they had suitable protective gear or not. She said that the donation could not have come at a better time and was confident the additional equipment would go a long way in assisting health workers.
AHF has been working in Eswatini since 2007, after establishing its Lamvelase clinic in Manzini, the country’s second-largest city. AHF Eswatini currently provides medical care and treatment to 31,497 clients.
