UNICEF provides IT equipment, PPE to support Covid response

UNICEF Lao PDR on Friday handed over IT equipment and personal protection equipment to the Ministry of Information Culture and Tourism to further strengthen UNICEF’s cooperation with the Lao government in promoting the rights and wellbeing of children and women and to support those staying in quarantine centres during the Covid outbreak.

Mrs Suanesavanh Vignaket (fourth left), Dr Pia Rebello Britto (third left) and relevant officials gather for a group photo during the handover ceremony.

The IT items consisted of two sets of teleconferencing equipment for use by the ministry and Lao National Radio. The Vientiane Times newspaper also received an iMax PC and two photo cameras. One photocopy machine and one laptop were provided to the ministry’s Mass Media Department.
The personal protection equipment consists of 1,000 boxes of face masks, 100 gallons of hand sanitiser, 500 pocket bottles of hand sanitiser, 200 pocket bottles of alcohol-based disinfectant, 30 infrared thermometers and 15 non-contact digital infrared thermometers.
The IT equipment will enable the implementation of Covid-19 risk communication and community engagement activities, including communication on vaccine rollout, at the subnational level. The personal protection equipment will be distributed to critical ministry and media staff as well as children and women in quarantine centres.
The equipment was handed over to the ministry by UNICEF Representative to Laos Dr Pia Rebello Britto and received by the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mrs Suanesavanh Vignaket.
Dr Britto said “To effectively control the spread of Covid-19 and limit its impact on the lives of children and women, providing information is key and we must continue raising awareness about Covid prevention and control measures as well as hygiene practices.”
“UNICEF is strongly committed to supporting the Government of the Lao PDR in effectively handling the Covid-19 response. We have previously given supplies to the government and it is our hope that this additional IT equipment and personal protection equipment will further contribute towards strengthening UNICEF and the ministry’s cooperation to ensure the safety of children and women during the pandemic.”
UNICEF will also provide the ministry and Lao National Radio with Zoom licences to enable them to use cloud-based video conferencing to host large online meetings as a means of addressing the social distancing difficulties associated with organising large-scale in-person meetings.
Previously, UNICEF provided the Vientiane Times with teleconferencing equipment, which has been successfully utilised by the newspaper and other state departments upon request.
UNICEF has made important contributions to the government’s efforts to contain the Covid-19 outbreak.
The agency plays a major role in procuring Covid-19 vaccines for Laos as it is part of the COVAX Facility - a partnership co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the World Health Organisation (WHO), with UNICEF as a key delivery partner - which aims to ensure equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines.

By Times Reporter
  (Latest Update October 26, 2021)