The health system measures put into place in Tunisia to contain the spread of COVID-19 are:
– March 21: The government announces that an envelope of TND 500 million will be created to strengthen the strategic reserves of, among other things, medicines.
– The government also announces the creation of a TND 100 million special fund to purchase equipment for public health establishments.
– March 23: The Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) authorised a TND 50 million loan (EUR 15.5 million) to the Ministry of Health to buy medical equipment to fight the Covid-19 crisis.
– March 26: The Ministry of Health announces to make 2,000 ICU beds available to cope with the Covid-19 crisis.
– March 28: The Minister of Health announces the purchase of 500,000 test kits.
– April 06: The Ministry of Industry and SMEs calls for industries specializing in the textile sector to support the national effort to manufacture reusable masks also to prepare for the period after the confinement ends and the wearing of masks is assumed to become mandatory.
– April 07: The Ministry of Defence announces that a first military plane has left to China to transport medical equipment back to Tunisia.
– April 08: Further confinement measures are adopted by the government: The training of a work team at the level of the Ministry of Industry and SMEs to organize the manufacturing of medical masks, distribute these and fix their prices.
– April 11: A commercial airplane comes back from China with 27 tonnes of medical equipment of which 5 million masks.
– April 19: The head of the government announces that 200,000 test kits will be available the coming week to perform targeted testing on a larger scale.
– April 20: The Tunisian Hotel Federation announces that 6,230 hotel rooms, in hotels across the country, are made available to the Ministry of Health for medical teams and repatriated Tunisians citizens who are put into a sanitary isolation.
– April 23: The Ministry of Industry and SMEs announces the start of a new online platform to register supply and demand needs for medical equipment. Tunisian companies can register and indicate their help to produce medical equipment and their potential capacity.
– April 24: The US government announces to make available USD 25 million (around TND 72 million) for the prevention and fight against Covid-19 in Tunisia. This funding will be used to increase laboratory capacity, for infection prevention and control, create access to vital medical services and basic necessities for children from vulnerable families, and offer psycho-social support to affected families.
– April 25: The Ministry of Health announces the launch of a digital training and learning platform on the coronavirus, for the benefit of healthcare professionals and the general public. This is a joint collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO).
– April 27: The Ministry of Human Rights announces the launch of a web application to help stranded foreigners in Tunisia. It is aimed at foreigners in fragile financial situations, for example, students, emigrants and asylum seekers. The application will make it possible to receive requests for assistance and donations.
– April 29: The Ministry of Health announces the arrival of 10 tons of medical equipment from Qatar.
– April 30: The French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, announced a donation of medical equipment (including protective suits and surgical gloves) to the Tunisian Ministries of Internal Affairs and Foreign Affairs.
– April 30: USAID starts the distribution of medical equipment (e.g., sterilization equipment for municipal agents such as uniforms, gloves, sprays) to support 151 Tunisian municipalities in the sanitary crisis.
– May 02: A second plane with medical aid including a mobile military hospital with a capacity of 100 beds and medical equipment arrived from Qatar.
– May 04: Germany announces the donation of laboratory diagnostic equipment to Tunisia for evaluation of samples related to Covid-19 virus testing.
– May 11: The WHO announces that it has made available an envelope of USD 1 million to help Tunisia acquire medical equipment and testing kits.
– May 14: The Embassy of China in Tunisia announces the donation of medical equipment to cope with the Covid-19 virus. The donation includes, among other things, (surgical) masks, gloves and test kits.
– May 17: An airplane from Turkey with medical equipment (such as surgical masks) arrives in Tunisia.
– May 19: The German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) does a donation of medical equipment to 41 Tunisian municipalities. The donation is financed by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development and is intended for public agents responsible for collecting household waste and consists of protective glasses and glove.
– June 05: Tunisia receives a donation of medical equipment (such as surgical masks and gloves) from The United States and another donation from the United Nations Children’s Fund in cooperation with Japan and Sweden.
– June 09: Tunisia receives a donation of TND 13 million from Japan to help acquire medical equipment to control the spread of the Covid-19 virus and further strengthen the health sector.
– June 17: Tunisia receives a donation of medical equipment (such as testing kits) from Germany.
– June 23: A donation of medical equipment (such as respirator machines) arrives from France.
The published information can be found here
