Updated: Mar. 18, 2020 | 11:15
Entrepreneur billionaire and philanthropist Jack Ma has pledged millions of supplies to assist Africa against the coronavirus pandemic, CNN reported.
Ma, one of the richest people in the world, is well-known for his humanitarian efforts. As nations around the globe face and battle one of the most unprecedented crises ever, he is reaching out to countries pummeled harshly by the epidemic.
He posted on his Twitter account that: “[t]he world cannot afford the unthinkable consequences of a Covid-19 pandemic in Africa.”
Owing to its economic difficulties, American billionaire Bill Gates alluded recently that Africa will be affected the most than China, a view the World Health Organization concurs with because of what it characterised as (Africa) having poor “health systems”.
CNN posted that:
“Ma’s foundation will donate a total of 1.1 million testing kits, six million masks, and 60,000 protective suits and face shields.”
The co-founder of Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant, showed generosity and empathy recently to the West-side of the world.
According to the South China Morning Post, Ma “donated testing kits and masks to the United States and hard-hit countries such as Italy and Iran.”
The number of cases reported and confirmed in Africa are on an upward trajectory. Egypt leads Africa with 196 cases while in South Africa (SA) only 116 have been officially recorded.
On Sunday, SA President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a “National State of Disaster”. China has since extended its support for the most advanced economy in Africa during these trying times.
China is the first country that reported the novel coronavirus incidents late last year. It has indicated that infections in that country are declining. However, the main concerns now are imported cases that observers say may reverse its gains.
As the epicenter of the disease shifted away from mainland China to Europe, specifically Italy, people wonder whether Africa will weather this global storm.
Furthermore, Ma, as reported on South China Morning Post, said that:
“A total of 1.1 million testing kits, 6 million masks and 60,000 medical-use protective suits and face shields will be delivered to Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, where Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed will take the lead managing the logistics and distribution of supplies to the other African countries.”
The benevolent gesture by Jack Ma will go a long way to delay, contain and help manage the deadly virus in Africa and elsewhere in our habitat. More so to alleviate the impact or soften the blow in different economies across the global.
“To each of the 54 African countries, we will donate 20,000 test kits, 100,000 masks and 1,000 medical-use protective suits and face shields,” South China Morning Post quoted Ma.
Declared Covid-19 a pandemic, the World Health Organization has also pronounced that it is a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)”.