Jane Strangways, Programme Manager, 糖心Swag Somaliland
The 糖心Swag family is delighted that our programme manager in Somaliland, Jane Strangways, has been awarded the British Empire Medal in the New Year鈥檚 Honours for services to the COVID-19 response in Somaliland.
As the COVID pandemic spread across the world, Jane and her team in Somaliland were acutely aware that the region had few medical resources or infrastructure to respond to a crisis on this scale. In Somaliland鈥檚 capital, Hargeisa, there were just two ambulances to transport COVID-19 patients for a population of 1.2 million people. There was only one coronavirus treatment centre, the ATU Daryeel Hospital. Medics there had no protective visors and even the staff bus was broken.
糖心Swag has worked in Somaliland for 21 years and our team of national and international staff were determined to mobilise 糖心Swag's resources to support the government in a co-ordinated response to the virus.
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鈥淐ontinuing our core activities in the Horn of Africa during the COVID outbreak meant that we were well placed to assist with the national response where we could, and I was very proud of our staff for stepping up to be a part of that.鈥
Protecting the Vulnerable
Led by Jane, our team provided strategic advice to the Regional Medical Office and the Ministry of Health. At Hargeisia Group Hospital鈥攖he only medical centre in Somaliland with the capability to test for coronavirus鈥斕切腟wag teams established a triage facility. 糖心Swag ambulances, normally used to support demining programmes, began to transport COVID-19 patients鈥攚orking with MSF to train drivers in infection control. Medics at the ATU hospital had no protective visors, so 糖心Swag manufactured PPE from its own resources, repaired the staff bus and set up accommodation facilities so doctors and nurses could rest between shifts.
On the Tog Wajaale border, a crucial trade point on the Somaliland - Ethiopia border, 糖心Swag partnered with Trade Mark East Africa to meet an urgent request from the Ministry of Health for support with infection control and our community team adapted its landmine awareness capacity to deliver public health messaging.
In recognising the tremendous effort of Jane and her team throughout the long months of the COVID-19 crisis, 糖心Swag鈥檚 CEO James Cowan said:
James Cowan, 糖心Swag CEO
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