Telecommunication network, MTN, has announced an amount of US$25 million to support the African Union in a bid to secure the COVID-19 Vaccine for Africa.

The amount of money donated by MTN will help secure seventeen million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for health workers across the continent. This is part of an initiative by the African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ACDC).

Commenting on the donation, Ralph Mupita, President and Chief Executive Officer of the MTN Group declared ““The devastating impact of COVID-19 has been unprecedented and profound. Public and private partnerships are needed if we are to succeed in the fight against the pandemic and restore social and economic norms for our continent and our communities”.

President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, the Chairman of the African Union (AU), announced on January 14, 2021, that the Union secured a provisional 270 million vaccine doses of COVID-19 on behalf of member states.

The procurement was done through an advance procurement commitment which guarantees up to US$2 billion to the manufacturers by the African Export-Import Bank.

The Director for ACDC, Dr John Nkengasong, disclosed that the centre’s “goal is to ensure that all those who need the COVID-19 vaccine have access to it very quickly, but the biggest hurdle in Africa has been financing of the vaccines, and the logistics of vaccinating at scale. We therefore welcome the right partnerships, like the one with MTN, to achieve our minimum 60 percent vaccination target”.

On her part, the CEO of MTN Ghana, Selorm Adadevoh expressed her appreciation to all frontline health workers and stakeholders for their dedication towards the fight against the pandemic.

“Our immense appreciation goes to our dedicated frontline health workers, the Government, and other key stakeholders who have worked tirelessly and braved the odds to help our country in the face of this relentless pandemic. MTN appreciates your devotion to duty and hopeful that these vaccines will help us all fight the COVID 19 pandemic”.

MTN has in various ways contributed to the fight against the virus at every stage.

The latest of such move is the donation to the ACDC towards the procurement of the COVID-19 Vaccines.

Source: Modernghana