UNDP, April 7, 2020
From Communities to Healthcare Workers
During the COVID-19 outbreak, like all hospitals around the world, hospitals in Sri Lanka are also facing shortages of medical supplies, specifically Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits. At a critical time such as this where a community effort was needed the most, UNDP was able to support the need of the hour through its ongoing Climate Change Adaptation Project (CCAP II) by teaming up with Green Coop, a collective of medical doctors and professionals from indigenous health, agriculture, and journalism sectors. Through this initiative, garment factories established through the project in Polonnaruwa area were approached, seeking a solution to address the shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) by exploring methods of local production. Also, fresh produce from these farmers have now been made available in packs and are being delivered to healthcare workers via the Green Coop network.
The Climate Change Adapation Project is an ongoing project by the Ministry of Environment and WildLife Resources, the United Nations Development Programme and World Food Programme in Sri Lanka, with financial assistance from the Adaptation Fund.