The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands has handed over some Personal Protective Equipment to Solidaridad, an international civil society organization for onward distribution to seven health facilitates within the cocoa and oil palm growing areas in Ghana.

The equipment included face shields, surgical masks, FFP2 masks, gloves, gumboots, overalls, hair covers, goggles, infrared thermometers, methylated spirit, bleach and alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

Solidaridad, would, in turn, donate the PPE, which are part of the organisation's COVID-19 response support to health facilities that could be accessed by cocoa and oil palm growing communities in the Eastern, Central, Ashanti, Ahafo and Western North Regions of the country.

Among the beneficiary health facilities earmarked for the distribution would be Sefwi Wiawso Government Hospital, Goaso Government Hospital, Dunkwa Government Hospital, and St. Francis Xavier Hospital in Assin Fosu.

The rest would be Suhum Government Hospital, Sabronum Health Centre and Wiawso Health Centre.

Mr Ron Strikker, the Dutch Ambassador, who presented the items to Solidaridad in Accra assured the country of the Embassy's commitment to supporting in diverse ways to manage the COVID-19 pandemic.

"As frontline workers lead the effort to deal with the pandemic, they are exposed to health and safety risks, which cannot be overlooked.

"It is in this light that we are working with Solidaridad to contribute towards the protection of these frontline workers operating near communities where the Netherlands government supports cocoa and oil palm programmes," Mr Strikker said.

He also commended government for the approach being taken to manage the pandemic, saying, "The Government of Ghana is on top of the issue" and that the international community feel safe in the country.

"We will fight the COVID together, as we grow and work together with Ghana", Mr Strikker said.

Mr Isaac Gyamfi, the Regional Director of Solidaridad West Africa, said as Solidaridad partner other stakeholders to work to improve the lives of farmers in Ghana, the organization also feel obliged to support the fight against COVID-19.

"We are already doing a lot to reach beneficiaries of our cocoa and oil palm programmes with remote extension support and the supply of personal protective equipment amidst the pandemic.

"But we also need to properly equip healthcare workers, who are a critical resource for securing the health and well-being of the public, including our beneficiary farmers, to carry out their work in a safe environment," Mr Gyamfi said.

With the increasing COVID-19 infection rate in Ghana, the gesture by Solidaridad and its funding partner, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands was to complement efforts by government and other entities to curb the spread of the virus among frontline healthcare workers.

The distribution of the equipment by Solidaridad was also part of a broader COVID-19 response and resilience plan being implemented in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone where the organization implements cocoa, gold and oil palm sustainability programmes, Mr Gyamfi explained.

He said in these countries, except Nigeria, the Netherlands government funds the Cocoa Rehabilitation and Intensification Programme (CORIP) implemented by Solidaridad to transform the cocoa sector of the countries.

Also, in Ghana, the Netherlands and Swiss governments jointly fund the Sustainable West Africa Palm Oil Programme (SWAPP), aimed at building a thriving and resilient oil palm economy.

With over 50 years of experience in developing solutions to make underprivileged communities more resilient, Solidaridad had been working in over 40 countries, on five continents, through eight independently supervised regional offices.

In West Africa, Solidaridad implements sustainability interventions in Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone in the cocoa, gold, and oil palm value chains.