5,000 residents of Ajegunle community, including healthcare workers, have received personal protective equipment (PPEs) as part of efforts to support the Lagos State government in curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The medical supplies which include facemasks, hand gloves, soaps, etc., were donated by Vertsark, an agribusiness business startup.
The Chief Executive Officer of Vetsark, Mr. Mene Blessing, disclosed that the PPE distribution exercise which lasted about eight weeks was targeted at the less privilege persons in the most vulnerable communities.
In a statement issued by the firm’s spokesperson, Helen Onyemaobi, on Monday, about 5,000 persons including local market women, security personnel, medical staff, and other essential workers providing care and treatments benefitted from the support.
Blessing said: “Our intervention in Ajegunle community is very timely because Ajegunle is considered as the largest slum in Nigeria and one of the largest in Sub Sahara Africa.
“Our goal was to increase awareness and prevention of COVID-19 among the over 500,000 residents in the area, and distribute 5,000 critical protective equipment to the most vulnerable people living in Ajegunle, over 8 weeks’ period. We have no doubt that the protective equipment will play an important role in containing the spread of COVID-19 in the community and Lagos state as a whole.”
In addition to providing personal protective equipment, the organisation which partners with other groups to address agriculture and health challenges in the country also sensitized the people on good hygiene practices, keeping social distance, handwashing with soap and water as well as the other preventive measures contracting COVID-19.
“Before our intervention, many people did not believe the pandemic was real. Our sensitization effort led to a change in behaviour and attitude towards COVID-19.
“This is consistent with our goal of preventing disease outbreaks in communities as well as our mission of transforming agriculture and health in Africa. We believe good public health is central to the prosperity of any people, and as such must be prioritized,” Blessing stated.
He, however, called on other stakeholders and philanthropists in the country to join in supporting government’s efforts towards combating the pandemic.
