Amman, 14 February 2021 - To support the Jordanian Ministry of Health’s transportation and delivery of routine and COVID-19 vaccines through mobile immunization centres, the World Health Organization (WHO) in Jordan through the European Union (EU)’s regional trust fund in response to the Syrian crisis, the Madad Fund, provided 2 refrigerated vehicles and 15 pickups to the national immunization programme. Additionally, 200 000 rapid diagnostic tests for the fast detection of COVID-19 infections and outbreaks at the health facility level were also provided.

The Health Minister Dr Nathir Obeidat acknowledged the partnership with the European Union, through the efforts of WHO in Jordan, to support the health sector, particularly the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

H.E welcomed the generous logistical support provided by the EU which included a number of fully equipped vehicles to facilitate the distribution of vaccines to target groups saving lots of efforts and time as well as  health care personnel , which strengthens the capacity of the Ministry of Health to respond effectively to COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the “Jordan Health Programme for Syrian Refugees and Vulnerable Jordanians”, the EU committed €43 million to support the Ministry’s efforts to strengthen Jordan’s primary health care services, out of which around €14 million aims specifically at boosting national COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan.

EU Ambassador to Jordan H.E. Maria Hadjitheodosiou stated that “in these difficult circumstances, solidarity is key to beating COVID-19. The EU has been supporting Jordan since the onset of the pandemic, and today, following the rollout of the vaccines, we continue our support to the Ministry of Health’s efforts to overcome the constraints in vaccine distribution by providing the necessary equipment to ensure they are delivered safely across the country, particularly to the most vulnerable.” 

Dr Maria Cristina Profili, WHO Representative to Jordan, said: “We are supporting the Ministry's efforts to improve the infrastructure for vaccines’ delivery and use for the most vulnerable populations. This support will also enable delivery of COVID-19 vaccines with hope to halt the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The Health Programme supports the National Immunization Programme by providing routine vaccines, tablets to record vaccine administration information, cold chain equipment, as well as vehicles for the Ministry of Health’s vaccination teams to help them extend the services to the most vulnerable populations.