The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has received the third round of medical equipment and supplies donated by the Jack Ma and Alibaba foundations in support of Africa’s fight against the spread of Covid-19.
The latest batch of the donation arrived in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa late Monday through an Ethiopian Airlines cargo flight.
The third-round donation to Africa from the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation mainly 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 donation is expected to come in more batches in the coming days. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed expressed his appreciation to the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation on Twitter for “continuing to show solidarity with Africa.”
“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,” said Jack Ma, Founder of Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Group, in a statement.
Airport workers transfer consignments of medical supplies at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Thursday received a third donation of medical equipment and supplies from the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation.
“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,” said Jack Ma. Meanwhile, the Jack Ma Foundation is also collaborating with Africa CDC to hold a special webinar entitled “Global MediXChange for Combating Covid-19 (GMCC): The Experience of China” on April 28.
The GMCC platform was launched in March to facilitate open knowledge sharing and online communication to combat Covid-19.
Thousands of medical staff from African countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Rwanda, South Africa and Zimbabwe have participated in its live exchange sessions.
Last week, the African Union (AU) Commission commended the Chinese tech entrepreneur and philanthropist, Jack Ma, following his latest announcement of the third-round donation.
“These vital supplies will enhance the Africa CDC’s strategic stockpile to assist member states in the Covid-19 fight,” AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said.
The AU Commissioner of Social Affairs, Amira Elfadil, also commended the latest batch of massive medical equipment donation from Jack Ma in support of Africa’s fight against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling it “a true solidarity with Africa”.
Ahmed Ogwell, Deputy Director of Africa CDC, also hailed the donation made by Jack Ma, saying that “this is a partnership that works. The Africa CDC values friends of Africa.”
On Tuesday, the Africa CDC disclosed that the death toll from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic on the African continent reached 1,423 as the number of confirmed cases hit 31,933 as of early Tuesday.
On March 22, the first batch of massive medical supplies donated by China’s Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation arrived in Africa. The massive medical supplies, soon after its arrival in the Ethiopian capital, had been transferred to 54 African countries.
On April 6, the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation made the second round of donation, which went to all 54 countries in Africa as the continent grapples with the pandemic.
–Xinhua–
