KOICA Donates $520,000 Worth of K-Quarantine Supplies to Cote d'Ivoire on 60th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations

KOICA-Juko Teu Dibu A Reu Embassy Joint Donation of K-Quarantine Supplies
Support for K-Quarantine Supplies in All Stages of Testing-Tracking-Treatment, Expected to Strengthen Health Authorities' Quarantine Capabilities

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency) and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in C?te d'Ivoire donated approximately $520,000 (about 620 million KRW) worth of K-quarantine supplies to support C?te d'Ivoire in West Africa in responding to COVID-19, ahead of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year.

The donation event was held on the 18th (local time) at the National Institute of Public Hygiene (INHP) located in Abidjan, the economic capital of C?te d'Ivoire, with the attendance of Joseph Acka, Deputy Minister of Health of C?te d'Ivoire, Diabat? Daouda, Deputy Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of C?te d'Ivoire, Lee Sang-yeol, Ambassador to C?te d'Ivoire, and Seo Dong-seong, Head of KOICA C?te d'Ivoire Office.

KOICA and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in C?te d'Ivoire decided to donate K-quarantine supplies to strengthen the quarantine capacity of the C?te d'Ivoire government, which is struggling to respond to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), and to support safe elections. The donated items include domestically produced RT-PCR diagnostic kits (26,400 tests), RNA extraction kits (26,400 tests), and 100,000 masks worth about $300,000 provided as humanitarian aid by the Korean government (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), as well as K-walk-through diagnostic booths (3 units), negative pressure carriers for patient transport (3 units), thermal imaging cameras (9 units), 6,500 masks, 2,500 hand sanitizers, and 2,500 disinfectants worth about $220,000 funded by KOICA and the Embassy’s own budget.

In particular, K-walk-through diagnostic booths and quarantine supplies to be equipped inside the booths were provided as a package to enable rapid and accurate COVID-19 testing at locations with high foot traffic and testing demand, such as Abidjan International Airport, the National Institute of Public Hygiene Vaccine Center, and Cocody University Hospital, a KOICA project site. Additionally, two thermal imaging cameras and 3,500 masks among the donated items were prepared with the Embassy’s own budget to support the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of C?te d'Ivoire, which is preparing for the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year together.

Lee Sang-yeol, Ambassador to C?te d'Ivoire, stated, “We hope that the support of K-quarantine supplies covering all stages of testing, tracing, and treatment, including Korean-made RT-PCR diagnostic kits and walk-through booths, will contribute to strengthening the C?te d'Ivoire government’s capacity to respond to COVID-19.”

Seo Dong-seong, Head of KOICA C?te d'Ivoire Office, said, “Given our successful cooperation with the C?te d'Ivoire government in the 2015-2016 Ebola emergency response, we will overcome COVID-19 together this time as well,” adding, “Along with K-quarantine supplies, we will consider a people-centered post-COVID development cooperation model that can coexist with vulnerable groups.”

Meanwhile, KOICA is implementing various support activities with a budget of about $820,000 targeting vulnerable groups such as the poor, women, and children who are easily marginalized during the COVID-19 period, in cooperation with the C?te d'Ivoire government and the international community. These activities include quarantine supplies, basic food, income-generating activities, infectious disease prevention education, and campaigns. At the same time, KOICA is smoothly carrying out C?te d'Ivoire’s international development cooperation projects worth about $7.94 million online in an untact (non-face-to-face) manner, continuing efforts to share human exchanges and development experiences between Korea and C?te d'Ivoire even during the COVID-19 period.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.