MTN lifts Africa with $25m for 7m vaccine doses

Multinational mobile telecommunications company MTN Group Limited said on Wednesday it has set aside $25 million to support the African Union (AU’s) COVID-19 vaccination programme.

The cash, it said, will help secure up to seven million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for health workers across the continent, which will contribute to the vaccination initiative of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

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President and Chief Executive Officer of MTN Group Ralph Mupita said the impact of the pandemic has been devastating, adding that a combination of private and public partnership was required to tame it.

“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.

“We believe ongoing collaborations with key stakeholders across sectors are essential as vaccines are deployed in all our markets, with communication tools, technology and digital services being vital support infrastructure for a successful mass vaccination programme. In the coming months, MTN Group will look at similar support commitments for the markets in which we operate in the Middle East,” Maputa said.

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On January 14, 2021, the Chairperson of the AU, President Cyril Ramaphosa, announced that the AU had secured a provisional 270 million COVID-19 vaccine doses on behalf of its member states, through advance procurement commitment guarantees of up to $2 billion to the manufacturers by the African Export-Import Bank.

This was an important milestone in efforts to ensure equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine for Africa’s people.

However, with a population of about 1.3 billion, Africa requires many more doses to achieve at least 60 per cent herd immunity. Contributions by private organisations like MTN are therefore essential to help the continent reach its target.

Director of Africa CDC, Dr John Nkengasong, said the objective was to ensure that people that need the vaccine get it.

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