Mercy Ships supports the Benin Ministry of Health in the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Cotonou, Benin, February 19, 2021

The Benin Ministry of Health today received a donation of personal protective equipment (PPE) comprising 74,300 pieces worth 80 million CFA francs.

The government of Benin thanks Mercy Ships and the MSC Foundation for this support.
The donation was presented by Dr Pierre M’PELE, Director General of the Africa Office to Prof. Benjamin HOUNKPATIN, Minister of Health of Benin.

Dr M’PELE said “the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic is a moment of choice to express solidarity between peoples and the strengthening of cooperation and partnerships between the various health actors in Africa and Mercy Ships once again finds itself alongside Africa and Africans ”.

From Left to Right, Jean-Baptiste AHOUANGONOU, Day Crew- Dr Pierre M’PELE, Mercy Ships Africa Bureau Director and Dr Ali IMOROU, Secretary General of Ministry of Health of Benin.

The Beninese government confirms that together we will defeat this new scourge.
The government of Benin has developed a national response plan from February 2, 2020 and which is finalized and implemented from March 18, based on scientific knowledge. The Ministry of Health encourages the strengthening of barrier measures as soon as the first case of Covid-19 is notified on March 16, 2020. The Minister of Health declared in his last press briefing that “… we must remain aware that the evil is always present and remain vigilant. We must more than ever redouble our attention and discipline to come to terms with Covid-19 … ”
As of February 17, 2021, Benin had notified 5,143 cases of COVID-19 and 65 deaths.
As soon as the Covid-19 pandemic appeared in Africa, Mercy Ships set up the “Stop COVID-19 in Africa” ​​initiative to provide personal protective equipment to health professionals, front-line actors against the epidemic as part of its partnership with African countries.
This donation also concerns ten other countries namely Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Madagascar, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

Mercy Ships has an exceptional partnership with Benin which has hosted the highest number of hospital ship missions since 1990. The last mission was carried out from August 2016 to June 2017 during which nearly 2,000 free surgeries were performed. performed, more than 15,000 dental procedures offered and the medical capacities of more than 1,500 health professionals strengthened.

About Mercy Ships
The International Humanitarian Non-Governmental Organization “MERCY SHIPS” works for access to safe and quality surgical care in Africa. The Organization is deploying its hospital ships to provide top-quality free surgical procedures to the poorest.

Since 1990, Mercy Ships has led more than thirty humanitarian missions in fourteen African countries (South Africa, Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Congo, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Madagascar, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Togo). Mercy Ships has performed over 105,000 surgeries in Africa, trained over 49,000 healthcare professionals, treated over 180,000 dental patients, renovated over 100 healthcare facilities and implemented over 1,000 projects community.

Founded in Switzerland in 1978 by Don and Deyon Stephens, Mercy Ships has national offices in 16 countries in Europe, Asia, Oceania and has an International Support Center based in Dallas, Texas. The Mercy Ships Regional Office for Africa, headquartered in Cotonou in Benin and operational since July 1, 2017, facilitates cooperation between Mercy Ships and African countries.

For more information, please contact:

Mercy Ships
Africa
Dr Pierre M’Pele Director, Africa Bureau
Member of the Administrative Council of Mercy Ships France
Cotonou Bénin
Tel : 229 (62) 38.79.79 – pierre.mpele@mercyships.org

International
Diane Rickard
Head of International Media Relations
Internationational.media@mercyships.org – www.mercyships.org/press

Fondation MSC
Chemin Rieu 12-14, 1208 Genève, Suisse – https://mscfoundation.org/news

Ministry of Health for Benin
Hospice Alladaye
Communication Manager
Tel : +229 96 56 98 52 – alladayehospice@gmail.com