EMERGENCY RELIEF: Almost 9.2m DKK are on their way to a number of Danish and international organisations that all work to counter the spread and mitigate the effects of the corona pandemic.
2m DKK (265.000 EUR) for Doctors Without Borders’ work in Lebanon
Lebanon is the country in the world with the highest number of refugees per capita. It is also a very poor country with a high need for awareness-raising, medical assistance, protective equipment etc. to prevent a humanitarian disaster.
- Doctors Without Borders (MSF) works in two large refugee camps (Shatila and Burj Al Bragjneh) and in 14 other locations. MSF prevents spread of COVID-19 in Lebanon as a supplement to existing programmes. MSF also supported the Elias Hraoui Governmental hospital by setting up a COVID-19 emergency room in the outdoor area of the premises. More about MSF in Lebanon.
MSF staff teaching health workers in the use of protective equipment. Lebanon, April 2020. Photo: MSF
2.3m DKK (310,000 EUR) for Practical Action’s work in Kenya
Practical Action and the Foundation expand an existing drinking water project for pastoralists in the Turkana District in Kenya with targeted WASH and COVID-19-preventive measures. Practical Action is currently implementing drinking water supplies, and 4 out of 8 planned locations have drinking water access. The area is currently not reported to be affected by COVID-19. More about Practical Action in Kenya.
68,500 DKK (10,000 USD) for Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda
As in many other countries across the African Continent, large groups of Uganda’s population do not have access to affordable clean water, sanitation, or sufficient knowledge about hygiene. With other words, many are unprepared and have poor protection from the spread of coronavirus. Grundfos Sub-Sahara has secured support from the Poul Due Jensen Community Engagement Grant to do local outreach in Uganda in partnership with the Palle Moeller Foundation and Capricorn Trust.
- Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU) will promote access to affordable soap and hand disinfectants, allowing the poorest part of the population to purchase these goods in both the short and long term.
227.861 DKK for Central Denmark Region’s pre-hospital
The pre-hospital has been warned by Italian colleagues against overlooking a group of patients that are nearing the critical phase where the patient’s condition can rapidly change to very serious need for oxygen. This change is not predictable from the usual ’vital parametres’ (blood pressure, respiratory frequence etc.) On the other hand, hospitals could get overcrowded if we admit too many.
- When an ambulance arrives at the home of a patient suffering COVID-19 symptoms, this is where the important decision to admit or not is made. The project will investigate whether a standard ‘functional assessment’ can be used to help decide whether or not to admit the patient to hospital.
2.9m DKK for Copenhagen Trial Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital: Living Systematic Review
Worldwide, hundreds of randomised clinical trials are performed, testing various treatments of COVID-19. It is, however, very unlikely that one clinical trial is enough to determine whether the treatment is effective. Thus, the results need to be compared in a meta-analysis. We need to monitor, collect and compare the results at the highest level to determine what we know, and how well we know it.
- The project will create a ’living meta-analysis’ which continuously monitors available research publications as they become available. The goal is to create an international basis for evidence-based guidelines to COVID-19 treatment.
1.2m DKK for AAU: Decision Support (data modelling in UPPAAL)
Under the current circumstances, the models used to support decisions by Danish authorities cannot be sufficiently validated. Statens Serum Institut therefore wishes to apply several models that can complement each other. Novo Nordisk Foundation supported a project developing a decision making tool for the gradual re-opening of the Danish society.
- The purpose of this project is to significantly improve the models developed by the Novo Nordisk Foundation project, especially with regard to sudden changes (e.g. school reopening) and the model uncertainties. The two projects will be closely interlinked – also in collaboration with Danish health authorities.
500,000 DKK for Social Legal Aid (Denmark)
Social Legal Aid is one of many Danish organisations struggling to cope with the pandemic and maintaining important services to vulnerable citizens. The need grows, but the organisation has very limited capacity to allow employees and volunteers to work on client cases from home.
- The Foundation funds a digital transformation allowing employees and volunteers to access the IT systems remotely, and the establishment of a socialeconomic business, Gældskompagniet, that will be offering debt counselling in the wake of the lockdown and the expected debt crisis created by thousands of lost jobs.
COVID-19 response
The grants above are the third batch in a series of COVID-19 related donations from the Grundfos Foundation. Find out more.