WHO, EU donate EUR 3.5 mln worth of equipment for laboratory centers in Ukraine

The World Health Organization and the EU have donated laboratory equipment, reagents and consumables to Ukraine worth a total of EUR 3.5 million to 27 laboratory centers conducting research to detect COVID-19.

Head of Operations Section "Local and Human Development" at the EU Delegation to Ukraine Frederik Coene said this at a briefing on Monday, July 6, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"The COVID-19 crisis has come as a big surprise. The EU and the member states of the European Union are ready to provide support in managing this crisis. [...] Twenty-seven laboratories will receive equipment worth a total of 3.5 million euros. We are sure that it will really help a lot," Coene said.

In particular, among the equipment are 25 amplifiers for PCR research. Deliveries will be distributed to laboratories according to needs determined by the Ukrainian Health Ministry and the President's Office and will last until the end of August. The equipment, which will be transferred to laboratories, will reduce the time for laboratory tests to detect the causative agent of coronavirus disease and thus increase the number of tests.

Deputy Minister of Health, Ukraine's Chief State Sanitary Doctor Viktor Liashko said the equipment provided would double or even triple the number of tests for COVID-19 carried out by regional laboratory centers.

Now, according to him, Ukraine conducts up to 80,000 tests for COVID-19 per week.

"The number of laboratories that existed at the beginning of the epidemic was three. They conducted 200-300 tests per day. Today, we have 82 laboratories in our response system, which conduct up to 14,000 tests a day, and about 80,000 a week," Liashko said.

The EU and WHO last week provided Ukraine with financial assistance for health care facilities - medical masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment. In total, the EU has allocated 190 million euros to help Ukraine fight COVID-19.

op