Supplying PPE to Central America in the Wake of COVID-19

Delivering PPE to combat COVID in Honduras
Topics:
Procurement
COVID-19
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Panama
Projects:
Procurement and Supply Management
Date

The rapid spread of COVID-19 worldwide led to shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) in health care facilities in many parts of the world – including Central America. The lack of PPE, especially appropriate facial masks, put at risk health essential workers, including those serving HIV/AIDS programs.

USAID and PEPFAR (the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), concerned about the potential impact on the supply of HIV/AIDS commodities, supported the procurement and delivery of masks to four countries in Central America through the USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program-Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project.

Delivering PPE to combat COVID in Panama
Delivering PPE to combat COVID in Panama

During September and October of 2020, GHSC-PSM delivered to:

  • El Salvador: 4,000 KN95 and 5,000 surgical masks to seven hospitals prioritized by PEPFAR/USAID, the central warehouse, HIV mobile units, the National AIDS Program and the Logistics Management Unit
  • Guatemala: 2,975 KN95 and 7,700 surgical masks to seven hospitals prioritized by PEPFAR/USAID, the central warehouse, the National AIDS Program and the Logistics Management Unit
  • Honduras: 2,340 KN95 and 2,440 surgical masks ten hospitals prioritized by PEPFAR/USAID, the central warehouse, the central HIV laboratory and the Logistics Management Unit
  • Panama: 8,060 KN95 and 12,000 surgical masks to five hospitals in the MOH and two hospital in the Social Security Institute prioritized by PEPFAR/USAID.

By helping protect staff from COVID-19 in essential laboratories, pharmacies, storage facilities and other key sites, the masks served to protect the HIV/AIDS supply chain and ensure a reliable supply of life-saving commodities. An additional 3,830 masks are planned for delivery to Honduras, 5,840 to El Salvador and 15,210 masks to Guatemala in January 2021.

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