UNBS staff donate OVER UGX 20M to aid the fight against COVID19

  22nd May , 2020 ,       Hits:

The staff of Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) have donated twenty million eight hundred eighty two thousand shillings (Shs. 20,882,000) to the COVID19 task force initiated by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, to aid the fight against Corona Virus in the country.

The donation, delivered by UNBS Executive Director, Dr. Ben Manyindo together with UNBS staff representatives on Tuesday, was received by the National COVID-19 taskforce head, Mary Karooro Okurut, together with the chairperson of the COVID-19 fundraising drive, Eng. Emmanuel Katongole and other members of the same, at the OPM offices in Kampala.

“UNBS staff appreciate the efforts by the National COVID-19 Task Force towards the fight against COVID-19 and extend their commitment to continue supporting this cause in ensuring that we stand together to fight off COVID-19 in Uganda.’ Said UNBS ED, Dr. Ben Manyindo.

The National COVID-19 taskforce head, Mary Karooro Okurut thanked UNBS for the donation and for keeping up the standards. The chairperson of the COVID-19 fundraising drive, Eng. Emmanuel Katongole also thanked UNBS staff for the kind gesture of setting aside part of their salaries to contribute to the fight against the corona virus in Uganda.

The donation is one of the contributions made by the Standards body, in addition to the free face mask standards, free sanitiser standards, free disinfectant standards as well as free technical guidance offered to local manufacturers to increase the production of quality and safe face masks and sanitizers in the wake of COVID 19.

The frequent use of masks and sanitizers is one of the measures put forward by government to curb the spread of the COVID19 pandemic and as such, UNBS prioritized certification of sanitizer manufacturing companies, which saw them increase from 11 companies as at 1st April 2020 to 38 companies producing 43 brands of sanitizers as at 17th April 2020.

UNBS is also at the forefront of ensuring quality of COVID19 relief food procured and donated.

“As at 5th May 2020, close to 4000 metric tonnes of beans and close to 6000 metric tonnes of maize flour have been checked by UNBS; 72% of the maize flour and 73% of the beans complied to the standards while 28% of maize flour and 27% of beans failed to meet the standards.” Said the UNBS Executive Director, Dr. Ben Manyindo.