In the midst of the Covid-19 global pandemic in March 2021, the Community Nursing Department in the Ministry of Health and Social Security led a successful public community campaign, thanks to the support of global strategic partner, the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI).
CFLI is a programme designed to support small-scale, high-impact projects in developing countries, which align with Global Affairs Canada’s thematic priority areas for engagement.
The majority of CFLI funding is directed towards civil society organisations, including non-governmental organisations and other institutions working at the local level. The CFLI seeks to fund innovative projects that deliver measurable results. The project funding range is up to CDN$50,000.
Through collaboration among the CFLI, the Ministry of Health and Social Security, and CHORES (Children’s Health Organization for Relief and Educational Services) Support Grenada, this country was awarded a $50,000 grant from the Canadian High Commission to support Grenada’s Covid-19 response efforts.
Through the grant, Grenada was able to undertake several initiatives including public education and training, the purchase of tents, medical supplies, blood pressure machines, glucometers, dextrose strips, hand sanitisers, and dispensers, vitamins/zinc, and an i-STAT unit to provide real-time chemistries on the NICU (newborn intensive care unit)/Covid wards.
Manager of Grenada’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation, Nurse Audrey Lyons, who played a crucial role in Grenada’s Covid-19 response efforts, described (CFLI’s) support as meaningful and timely. Lyons, a senior Community Health Nurse, added that contributions of this magnitude often help to save lives and improve health services delivery and as such, CFLI must be highly commended.
The CHORES Support Grenada representative, Dr Beverly Nelson has also publicly commended and thanked CFLI for its support. She said CHORES Support Grenada is happy to have received the grant from the Canadian High Commission.
Dr Nelson lent her support to the Ministry of Health during the pandemic and worked closely with the Community Nursing Department to identify gaps and needs that were later addressed through the grant.
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