(Ecofin Agency) - AU President, Cyril Ramaphosa, launched on June 17 a platform for covid-19 supplies. This was during a virtual meeting with the Extraordinary China-Africa Solidarity Summit against COVID-19.

The strategy is aimed at helping countries easily access critically needed medical supplies to combat the coronavirus. Afreximbank and Eximbank of China have been entrusted with the management of this new instrument.
“We have an urgent need for medical supplies, testing equipment and facilities to isolate and quarantine people, laboratories, personal protection equipment and ventilators […] Although the number of infections in Africa is currently lower than elsewhere in the world, there is an expectation that the worst is still to come, with dire social and economic consequences,” Ramaphosa said, speaking about the necessity of such an initiative.

In addition, the African Union also announced the creation of an African COVID-19 Response Fund to raise money for the continent’s response plan against the pandemic.

Latest AU data show 250,000 positive cases of coronavirus across the continent with more than 6,700 deaths.

André Chadrak