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A statement from HealthNet TPO on the corona virus

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Just like many of you, all of us here at HealthNet TPO are concerned about the very serious threat of Covid-19 here in the Netherlands and across the world.

The safety and wellbeing of all people involved with HealthNet TPO is paramount to us. This is why we have taken necessary measures here in the Netherlands and in our project countries to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and ensure the safety of all those who work with HealthNet TPO.

In Amsterdam we have closed the doors to our head office and all our staff are now working remotely from home. We have stopped all travel and our meetings are now all being conducted digitally.

In Afghanistan, HealthNet TPO is one of the major sources of healthcare in the Laghman, Kunar and Nangarhar provinces. Our team in Afghanistan are making sure that they are prepared for an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases and taking necessary steps to contain and prevent the virus. This includes establishing isolation wards in the hospitals, stocking medicines, infection prevention materials and essential personal protective equipment and ensuring crowds in the hospitals are minimised. Our HealthNet TPO office in Afghanistan is also working at 50% to reduce the numbers in the office and ensure social distancing.

In Burundi and South Sudan, there are currently no confirmed cases of coronavirus. Our offices are taking necessary preventative measures with good hand hygiene and social distancing and we have cancelled all meetings and field trips. In South Sudan and Burundi, the healthcare systems are not adequate to cope with an outbreak as seen here in Europe. Prevention is vital and we are now educating communities about the importance of hand washing and other preventative measures against the spread of the coronavirus using videos created by ViDi. We will continue to monitor the situation in Burundi and South Sudan and work closely with our teams to ensure their safety.

In Colombia, our partner organisation LIMPAL have suspended their operations until the of March. We do not have any HealthNet TPO staff in Colombia, but all LIMPAL staff are now working remotely.

We encourage our followers to keep active, keep connected with loved ones through digital means and please stay home to stay safe.

We ask that even in these difficult times you please consider supporting our work in Afghanistan, Burundi, South Sudan and Colombia.

This is a time for prudence, not panic. Science, not stigma. Facts, not fear. We will come through this together. ~ UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Best wishes,

HealthNet TPO team