Collective UN response to country needs against COVID-19

Following the emergency over COVID-19 pandemic and Government’s bold measures in early stages of the outbreak, the UN team in Montenegro stepped up to mobilize its capacities and help the country strengthen its response.

Under the leadership of WHO, the UN Country Team swiftly consolidated its resources and expertise to support the country in three different streams:

• Helping Montenegro access UN global funds by jointly developing the Country Preparedness and Response Plan in close cooperation with the National Coordination Body (NCB) for COVID-19.
• Supporting the country in identifying the needs in areas of coordination, risk communication, case management, prevention, national laboratories, surveillance, socio-economic challenges.
• Mobilizing funds and medical equipment procurement

Country leadership expressed deep appreciation of UN's support in this critical time. During the meeting with the Prime Minster Duško Marković, UN Resident Coordinator Fiona McCluney and Head of WHO Office in Montenegro Mina Brajović highlighted that the UN and WHO remain available to Montenegro for further expert assistance in combating the epidemic and remedying its social and economic consequences through the National Preparedness Plan.

“Congratulations on taking fast and decisive steps to curb infection transmission and introducing economic support for those affected, strong coordination and leadership is essential to fight the virus” said Ms McCluney in reference to the early measures taken by the government.

Strict measures include travel ban, closure of all schools and faculties, public places, compulsory self-isolation for returnees from abroad, number of other bold physical distancing measures, as well as set of economic measures aimed at mitigation of the COVID-19 outbreak impact.

Montenegro’s early response to COVID-19 was also praised by the regional WHO Director for Europe Hans Kluge who commended the country for leading by example. In his teleconference with the Head of the National Coordination Body, Deputy Prime Minister Milutin Simović and Head of WHO Office in Montenegro Mina Brajović, Mr. Kluge emphasized the importance of equipping hospital facilities with focus on protecting health professionals as a vital link in the fight against the pandemic.

Mr Simović thanked to Mr Kluge and Ms Brajović for the WHO expert assistance stressing out that it was critical in supporting Montenegro to tune its limited health system towards three-segment response to COVID-19 outbreak: a) containment which includes detection, isolation, contacts tracing and treatment, b) protection of health workers and c) community engagement to ensure physical distance.

As one of the last countries in Europe to be hit by the outbreak, Montenegro learned some important lessons from other countries’ experiences and timely imposed strict measures which brought concrete results. The first wave of the outbreak has been significantly slowed down, enabling the health system to get as ready as possible for the upcoming, more serious stages.

United Nations Team in Montenegro is not large, but it works well together. In a relatively short period after the epidemic emerged, the UN organisations managed to merge available resources. Collective push brought together WHO, UNDP, UNICEF, UNHCR, IOM, UNOPS and UN Resident Coordinator’s team to promptly deliver consolidated support through number of channels, including:

• assessment of medical and non-medical supplies,
• mobilizing funds,
• equipping two quarantines,
• support in risk communications to Institute for Public Health,
• mobilising UN networks to explore options for shipment of medical equipment from abroad to Montenegro,
• producing COVID-19 materials in six languages for asylum seekers and migrants,
• as well as restructuring current programme activities towards mitigation of effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the most vulnerable categories of population.

As the country continues to consolidate all its strengths to slow down spread of the disease, the UN team led by the WHO remains reliable and trusted partner in the upcoming struggle to protect citizens of Montenegro from COVID-19 outbreak.