By Adedapo Adesanya
The third batch of donations of COVID-19 preventive and testing materials to Africa by Chinese billionaire, Mr Jack Ma, will arrive Nigeria any day from Tuesday after the delivery reached Ethiopia on Monday.
The donation is to support COVID-19 response by African Union (AU) Member States and it includes 4.6 million masks, 500,000 swabs and test kits, 300 ventilators, 200,000 sets of protective clothing, 200,000 face shields, 2,000 temperature guns, 100 body temperature scanners, and 500,000 pairs of gloves.
The Ethiopian Airline said that it would begin the distribution of the donations from Tuesday.
World Food Program (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) assigned the Ethiopian Airlines Cargo and Logistics Service as a central supply hub to operate the international COVID-19 support supplies for Africa.
The billionaire philanthropist said it was crucial to speed into action as the emergency is becoming increasingly difficult on economies.
“The world cannot afford the unthinkable consequences of a COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. The crisis is proving to be more difficult and longer lasting than any of us had expected.
“We must make every effort to get prepared. As members of the global community, it would be irresponsible for us to sit on the fence, panic, ignore facts, or fail to act. We need to take action now,” he said.
The medical equipment and supplies needed to fight COVID-19 are largely manufactured outside Africa, and every country, including countries with advanced technologies, needs them. This has made it more difficult for African countries to procure their medical supplies through the regular channels and this is why Ma’s donations are welcomed.
In March, about 5 million face masks, 1.8 million testing kits, 60,000 protective gears and other critical materials arrived in Nigeria as the first batch, and earlier this month, a second consignment came into the country.
The second consignment included 500 ventilators, 200,000 suits and face shields, 200,000 thermometers, one million swabs and extraction kits and 500,000 gloves.
Aduragbemi Omiyale