Almost R$ 6 million in tests for Covid-19, personal protective equipment (PPE) and test devices will be donated to Amazonas to face the new coronavirus. The material will be transferred by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) Program, United Against Covid-19.

The distribution of products will be monitored by the Leônidas & Maria Deane Institute (ILMD / Fiocruz Amazônia), explains the researcher and manager of the Fiocruz unit in Amazonas, Sérgio Luz. According to him, 3,000 rapid test kits and R$ 1.2 million in PPE will be destined for the Alto Rio Negro, Alto Solimões and Vale do Javari indigenous peoples; R$ 1,552 million in PPE for hospitals in Manaus, in addition to R$ 1.5 million in equipment for Fiocruz Amazônia to triple its testing capacity for Covid-19.

Donations were made to the United Against Covid-19 Program, by Vivo (R$ 3 million), by the Emergency Health Fund / Movimento Bem Maior (R$ 1.2 million), by Fundação Banco do Brasil Foundation (R$ 52,000) and the rest by the Immunobiological Technology Institute (Bio-Manguinhos / Fiocruz), specifically for Amazonas.

The products are in the acquisition phase and as soon as they arrive in Manaus they will be sent to institutions and indigenous peoples.

United against Covid-19 
The United Against Covid-19 Program is a Fiocruz initiative launched on April 2nd. The Program aims to enhance the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation actions in the face of the new coronavirus (Sars-CoV-2) pandemic, by joining efforts from public and private sectors, becoming a channel where interested companies, organizations and individuals form a actions supporters’ network developed by the Institution to face the health emergency.