The Orange Foundation is providing an additional €1.3 million in financial aid to the 17 countries in Africa and the Middle East to help fight the COVID-19 epidemic.
The funds will be used to support national efforts to vaccinate as many people as possible and to help combat the health crisis and its effects.
Last week, the African Union’s disease control body and World Health Organisation urged African countries not to waste COVID-19 vaccines donated to them, after confusion in Malawi and South Sudan about whether doses they received had expired.
Many African countries, already facing a shortage of affordable vaccines, are being stunned by the unprecedented scale of the distribution challenge when doses do arrive.
Orange Middle East and Africa, CEO Alioune Ndiaye says: “To take on the health crisis in Africa and the Middle East, each of our 17 countries will use this aid to supplement projects that have already been launched locally in collaboration with the country’s health authorities.”
“In addition to providing protection kits (masks, sanitizer, gloves, goggles, coveralls, etc.) and medical equipment and taking urgent action alongside NGOs, we are proud to facilitate access to the COVID-19 vaccine which is a huge challenge for African countries.”