KOTA KINABALU: Medical frontliners and schools have received RM150,000 worth of equipment from WWF-Malaysia and Mercy Malaysia.

       The equipment included respirators for hospitals and hand-washing kiosks for several local schools and orphanages in the state.

       Sabah WWF-Malaysia's conservation head Dr Robecca Jumin said the initiative is part of their newly-established social development unit engage with and encourage sustainable livelihoods for communities in Sabah.

       "We believe working in collaboration with the local communities is the most effective, equitable and efficient way to restore the natural world that we all hold dear and depend on," she said.

       WWF Social Development manager Anne Baltazar noted the Covid-19 pandemic has substantially impacted communities in Sabah.

       "During the initial lockdown, the region was in desperate need of emergency supplies. People were also suffering from food security, loss of income and unemployment as the lockdown has restricted movement and business activity. We hope that this small contribution will go a long way in helping ease the burden of our frontliners," she explained.

       She also expressed hope that by donating handwashing kiosks to schools, students would be inspired to adhere to standard operating procedures and prevent infections.

       Mercy Malaysia acting executive director Zuraidah Mian said the collaboration with WWF-Malaysia helped enhance the capacity of her organisation's Covid-19 Emergency Response Plan.

       "We truly appreciate the support of WWF-Malaysia and recognise the impact of their generous contribution to the healthcare services, particularly in Sabah," she said.

       Zuraidah added Mercy Malaysia remained focused on providing strategic medical and health intervention programmes to help reduce the spread of the pandemic, which has severely impacted Malaysia's healthcare system.