Status: Current response
Status: Current response
We’ll be working with the Eswatini Ministry of Health to strengthen health services by delivering specialist care and technical support, and training doctors and nurses.
Coronavirus is now present in all four regions of Eswatini, a country of 1.1 million people. As of 26 January, 14,622 people have tested positive for the virus, and 493 have sadly died.
Eswatini has 11 COVID-19 treatment centres with 437 beds in total. But a lack of biomedical engineers has made it difficult to install and maintain adequate intensive care equipment.
The country currently has just 29 intensive care beds, all of which are full. Although more beds are available, there isn’t enough oxygen or trained critical care doctors and nurses.
Our team will help save lives and stop health services becoming overwhelmed.
Led by Andy Kent, UK-Med’s surgical lead, our team includes members from the UK, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
As well as doctors and nurses specialising in critical care and infection prevention and control (IPC), we’re sending specialists in risk communications and biomedical engineering.
Their activities will include:
We’ll post more updates as our response develops over the coming weeks.
We’re grateful to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) for UK Aid funding from the British people to fund this important response.