By BLESSING OKEZIE, Lagos
The African Union is to spend a whooping sum of N151.2 billion ($420 million) to implement the Africa Continental Strategy on COVID-19 in the next six months.
The union, recently set up COVID-19 board of trustees to aid the work of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Africa CDC) .
The board Chairman, Mr Moussa Faki Mahamat, at the inaugural meeting of the board recently held online said that the Union is using the economic, humanitarian and health dimensions to get through the global pandemic.
“The economic dimension aims to realise debt relief for the continent, and the provision of sufficient liquidity to get Africa through the crisis. In this regard, the AU Chairperson, President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed four special envoys to advocate with partners and the international community, providing substantial support to Africa in the face of the potential economic crisis caused by Covid-19.”
He said the humanitarian dimension refers to the situation where Africa is strengthening its partnerships with the United Nations and other international humanitarian agencies, to provide logistical support to states in caring for refugees, internally displaced persons and migrants.
“Last but not the least, the health dimension focuses on strengthening preventive measures and health infrastructure, including provision of equipment, trained health personnel, and surveillance systems that inform government decisions.”
AU Social Affairs Commissioner, H.E. Amira Elfadil, apprised the board members on the status of the response fund and the plans to mobilise from both member states and partners to enable the African Union safe-guard Africa’s health through the Africa CDC. She informed the board that so far $61,500,000 had been raised, and urged the board members to close the gap by raising the remaining $358,500,000 to reach the target.
Also speaking, the Director, Africa CDC, Dr John Nkengasong, said the funds donated will support the Africa CDC’s pool procurement of diagnostics and other medical commodities for distribution across the continent which will enable the continent to test one million Africans in 10 weeks.
He said it will also support the deployment of one million community healthcare workers to support contact tracing; and standardisation and deployment of common technology platforms to boost public trust in testing data, epidemiological models and critical health forecasting techniques as part of the economic recovery and re-opening agenda.
“We need to enhance testing, improve logistics and scale up manufacturing”, he added.
The governance structure of the newly formed AU Covid-19 response Fund Board of Trustees is made up of member states, the private sector and AU representatives.
The members include Prof. Wiseman Lumkile Nkuhlu, Chancellor of the University of Pretoria Chairman KPMG South Africa from Southern Region, Mr. Martin Mogwanja, Senior Executive, Development and Humanitarian Relief Management, Kenya from Eastern region Prof. Mohamed Awad Tageldin, Senior Advisor on public health and protection policies to the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt from Northern region, Mr. Ndolamb Ngokwey, Former Deputy Special Representative of UN Secretary-general and UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Côte d’Ivoire Democratic Republic Congo, from Central Region.
Mr. Abdoulaye Daffe Former President and Chief Executive Officer, Banque de Development du Mali Mali, from Western region H.E Dr. Hala Zaid Minister of Health and Population Egypt, and AU Specialised Technical Committee (STC) chair on Health Population and Drug Control.
From private sector, Prof. Benedict Oramah , President, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Engr. Mansur Ahmed – Executive Director, Dangote Group, Mr. Paul Gomes, Chairman, Afro-Champions African Union Commission and H.E. Amira Elfadil , AU Social Affairs Commissioner.
The union, said the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the board of the AU COVID-19 Response Fund will be announced at a meeting to be held next week.
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