The project entitled “North Lima responds to COVID-19 with prevention and protection” is one of the initiatives supported by Swiss humanitarian aid in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru.

On September 15, the “Strengthening Environmental Health Determinants” project was launched in an on-line ceremony – complying with the new health measures.  This is an initiative of ASH, which works to improve living conditions in North Lima, including indigenous populations. ASH works in partnership with Action Against Hunger, the North Lima Comprehensive Health Networks Department and the Municipal Community of North Municipal Cluster, to strengthen health services, supply markets and community kitchens to contain and mitigate the pandemic in the area.

The meeting was attended by Claudio Ramírez, director of the DIRIS North Lima; Martin Jaggi, director of Cooperation of the Swiss Embassy; América Arias Anton, director of Action Against Hunger; Alejandro Vargas Vásquez, coordinator of Action Against Hunger; and Renán Espinoza, chair of the North Lima Municipal Cluster.

The project backs up the efforts of the health sector and local governments, and will help improve the organization, capacities, operations and equipment of first-level health services, supply centres and community kitchens, in order to provide adequate assistance based on the technical standards, protocols and directives in force issued by government departments, ensuring the prevention and control of the spread of COVID-19, and the social protection of people in vulnerable situations. It is scheduled to start in March 2021 and its scope of action is North Lima.

Expected outcomes:
i) 10 first-level health services have strengthened their technical capacities and adapted their organization and installations to provide comprehensive health care in the COVID-19 pandemic, according to current technical standards established by the Ministry of Health;
ii) Five supply markets implement COVID-19 and gender violence prevention protocols to operate safely, coordinating with the health sector, local governments and Women’s Emergency Centres; and
iii) Five community kitchens improve their organization and equipment to provide adequate food to the vulnerable, using protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The project will be key to the coordination, interaction and joint work to tackle the pandemic, pooling the efforts of government agencies, international cooperation, community organizations and the community at large, mitigating the effects of the pandemic.

You can see the presentation here