Africa50 has announced a grant of US$300,000 to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to support response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa.  The grant will be used specifically for the purchase of test kits and other medical equipment and to mobilize frontline responders, as highlighted in the Africa Joint Continental Strategy for COVID-19.

The Chief Executive Officer of Africa50 (www.Africa50.com), Alain Ebobisse, says the grant signals the beginning of a longer-term partnership between Africa50 and Africa CDC on public health issues in Africa.

“As a pan-African entity funded by 28 African shareholder governments, Africa50 is well placed to join Africa CDC and the African Union in their efforts to combat COVID-19 on the continent. We look forward to a longer-term collaboration with Africa CDC to help address the continent’s health infrastructure needs, leveraging each other’s expertise and stakeholder networks. We are fully committed to engaging with our African shareholders and partners in these challenging times,” says Alain Ebobisse.

Africa50 is a pan-African infrastructure investment platform that contributes to Africa's growth by developing and investing in high-impact national and regional projects and mobilizing private sector funding. The grant was awarded as part of Phase 1 of the COVID-19 Relief Support Initiative (RSI) of Africa50, which aims to respond to immediate public health needs in Africa.

“The Africa Joint Continental Strategy for COVID-19 highlights four things: cooperation, collaboration, coordination and communication. This pandemic will be won at the community level and it requires everybody working together with a unique level of cooperation. We particularly acknowledge the grant from Africa50 as a good example of the kind of solidarity that Africa needs from individuals and institutions in Africa,” says Dr John Nkengasong, Director, Africa CDC.

The Partnership to Accelerate COVID-19 Testing (PACT): Trace, Test & Track, launched by the African Union Commission in April 2020 has identified well-coordinated actions and strong partnerships at all strategic levels as key to achieving remarkable success in the response to COVID-19 in Africa. PACT aims to support testing of 20 million Africans by the end of 2020 and the deployment of one million community healthcare workers to support contact tracing. This donation contributes to efforts towards accomplishing this very important aspiration of Africa’s Heads of State and Government.