UNDP launches report for effective COVID-19 response

INSTANBUL: International Health Services Inc of Turkey, in collaboration with Instanbul International Centre for Private Sector Development, under the umbrella of the United Nations Development Programme have launched a report on lessons learned and strategies appropriate for locally manufacturing personal protective equipment (PPE) for COVID-19 response. This report is based on literature reviews, experiences and various case studies acrossTurkey.

Haoliang Xu, Assistant Secretary-General of UN and Director of UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, said that even though the world has received phenomenal news of vaccines and its roll out, it is as important as before to manage high demand of quality PPEs following sustainable business practices. He added that the partnership between UNDP and private sector on COVID-19 response focuses on supporting and sustaining resilience and viability in private sector and building capacity for resilient, inclusive, low carbon recovery hand-in-hand.

The report shows good practices adapted by Turkey, including the measures to mitigate challenges of coordinating the production and bottlenecks in the PPE value chain, distribution in domestic and international markets. The report has been named as a one stop for manufacturers and also contains information on PPE raw materials, necessary equipment, skills, and the cost of production.

Dr Emine Alp Mese, Deputy Minister of Health, Republic of Turkey, commented that if uncertified and jerry-built PPEs manage to find their way into countries’ markets, they will pose a significant risk to the security and health of frontline health workers, and will additionally undermine the public health measures in practice while reverting the progress against the pandemic.

The report also draws upon the key sources included in the World Health Organisation’s recent publication on standard requirements for PPE manufacturing and handling in COVID era.  It also refers to International Finance Corporation’s tool for determination of production cost and PPE value chain analysis provided by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.