Photo taken on Feb. 11, 2020 shows masks made at a medical supply company in Nan'an District, southwest China's Chongqing. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)
UNIDO will deliver 100,000 medical masks and 20,000 protective suits to China, and provide medical waste decontamination equipment with a capacity to deal with four tons per day.
VIENNA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) will provide emergency response assistance to China to help fight the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), according to a document signed here.
UNIDO will deliver 100,000 medical masks and 20,000 protective suits to China, and provide medical waste decontamination equipment with a capacity to deal with four tons per day, said the document jointly signed by UNIDO Director General Li Yong and Wang Qun, Chinese envoy to the United Nations (UN), and other international organizations in Vienna.
Workers arrange protective suits at a workshop in a company in Ningjin County, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Xiao)
The organization will also provide videos and other remote training materials to educate staff in hospitals and disposal centers in both cities and rural areas on the safe management of medical waste, according to the document.
At the signing ceremony, Wang thanked the UNIDO for its support and timely donation, which reflects the robust cooperative relationship between China and the organization.
"We will strictly follow all procedures and make sure the supplies are delivered back to China's health facilities and people with priority needs," he added.
"The outbreak of the COVID-19 brings new challenges to China, as the confirmed and suspected cases are still increasing," said Li.
"New infections need to be minimized, including among medical staff who are the backbone of the fight against the COVID-19. For this, protective equipment for medical staff is needed, but also ways to manage safely the hazards posed by medical waste. This is where UNIDO will make a difference with the support agreed today," Li said.
Since 2008, the UNIDO has assisted China in managing medical waste in a safe, environmentally sound manner.
"Our transformative activities, implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, have systematically enhanced capacity on medical waste in more than 170 disposal centers and over 1,500 hospitals across the whole country," said the director general. ■
