Belgium sends 760,000 face masks to Guinee
Belgium has dispatched a consignment of 760,000 face masks to help the authorities in the West African country Guinee tackle the coronavirus pandemic and other public health issues there. The masks are being sent as part of Belgium’s B-FAST emergency aid scheme. In addition to the coronavirus pandemic Guinee is confronted with a measles outbreak, a yellow fever epidemic and during the past month several new cases of Ebola were reported in the country.
In a press release the Belgian Foreign Ministry said that "All this had put medical provision under enormous pressure”.
The consignment includes 600,000 surgical masks and 160,000 KN95 masks that have been donated by the Federal Health Department. Belgium currently has a stock of 10.2 million FFP2/KN95 masks and 150 million surgical masks.
"Belgium wants to show solidarity with the people of Guinee that are experiencing difficult times”, the Belgian Foreign Ministry said. The masks will be flown over to the capital of Guinee, Conakry on a flight chartered thanks to a cooperation agreement between the Foreign Ministry and a private partner.