Africa's coronavirus fight boosted by donations from China

ADDIS ABABA

The third round of Jack Ma Covid-19 medical supplies that landed in Addis Ababa on Monday evening is literally a lifesaver, an official at the Africa Centre for Disease Control (Africa CDC) said on Tuesday.

"Getting diagnostics and medical equipment for Covid-19 response is a global challenge. Africa is in a fierce competition with the developed world with respect to the availability of commodities," said John Nkengasong, the director of the Africa CDC.

THIRD DONATION

A ceremony was held on Monday evening to welcome a third-round donation of medical equipment and supplies from the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Speaking on the side-lines of the ceremony, Lia Tadesse, Ethiopia's Minister for Health expressed confidence that her country will overcome the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic that has created global economic and social havoc.

The east African country has in the past one-and-a-half months expanded its Covid-19 testing capacity and delivered Covid-19 medical supplies to its population with the help of various partners including the Jack Ma Foundation and the Chinese government.

SUPPORT AU MEMBERS

"The Jack Ma Foundation is proactively helping Ethiopia with the donation of Covid-19 medical supplies including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)," Ms Tadesse told journalists on Monday evening.

The donation, which is to support Covid-19 response of African Union member states, 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 Ethiopia Ministry of Health has been expanding its readiness in terms of boosting human resources, training and stockpiles of essential supplies. This donation goes a long way to achieve that goal," said the health minister.

"The Chinese government and Jack Ma Foundation have been strongly assisting us to acquire PPE supplies, medical ventilators and Intensive Care Unit beds," said Ms Tadesse.

"Jack Ma Foundation Covid-19 donation a lifesaver," she added.

Ethiopia which confirmed its first Covid-19 case on March 13, currently has a total of 124 confirmed cases as of Tuesday.

'INCREDIBLE INITIATIVE'

"These donations from the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation have been an incredible initiative helping to feed the need for medical supplies by African countries," said Mr Nkengasong.

The Africa CDC director also said global partnership is key to winning the war against Covid-19, with the Jack Ma Foundation playing a key role on the African continent.

"Partnership is key to winning the war against Covid-19. In our strategy we have highlighted four things: cooperation, collaboration, coordination and communication," said the director.

"If we do not want Africa to be the next epicentre, we must foster multi-sectoral partnerships at the community level, at the national level, at the continental level, and at the global level. This important collaboration is a major milestone in achieving this," said Mr Nkengasong.

DEATH TOLL

According to Africa CDC, the death toll from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic on the African continent has reached 1,423 as the number of confirmed positive cases reached 31,933 on Monday.

The Jack Ma Foundation has already successfully provided two rounds of Covid-19 medical supplies to the 54 African countries, with Ethiopia's national carrier Ethiopian Airlines (ET) playing a key role in the deliveries.

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES

Speaking to journalists on Monday, Fitsum Abadi, the Managing Director of Ethiopian Airlines cargo section, said the carrier has finished preparations to utilise its extensive flight network on the African continent to deliver the third round of Jack Ma Covid-19 medical supplies donation.

Ethiopian Airlines has already successfully transported the first and second batch of Jack Ma Covid-19 medical supplies donation consisting of combined 260 tons of medical supplies to several dozen African countries.

"ET has expanded cargo operations to offset the loss from reduction in passenger flights," said Abadi.

"We've repurposed some of our passenger planes to cargo planes to in part conduct Covid-19 related chartered flights to European, Middle eastern and South American destinations," said Mr Abadi.