Jack Ma donates second batch of coronavirus supplies to Africa

Medical supplies donated by billionaire Jack Ma (inset) at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on March 24, 2020. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

Africa’s stretched response to the Covid-19 pandemic will heave a sigh of relief after the Jack Ma foundation sent it way a consignment of medical equipment to combat the disease.

The Chinese tech titan and Alibaba founder posted on Twitter that Africa will be receiving 500 ventilators, 200,000 suits and face shields, 2,000 thermometers, one million swab and extractions kits and 500,000 gloves.

This is the second batch of the donation from Ma to be received in the continent housing 1.3 billion people with 9,793 Covid-19 cases and 443 fatalities from the virus as of today.

The first shipment arrived on March 23 with 20,000 laboratory diagnostic test kits, 100,000 medical masks, and 1000 protective suits and face shields.

The equipment come at a time when the storm of the corona pandemic was spreading fast in many African countries.

According to regional health experts, it is evident that Africa’s health systems are too fragile and risk being overwhelmed if the virus isn’t contained.

This is even more likely following reduced foreign aids as donor countries such as the United Kingdom and United States of America have been badly hit by the same virus.

As a measure to prevent such a situation, many African states have responded fast through community awareness strategies to ensure that all the preventive recommendations such as regular washing of hands, social distancing and staying at home are adhered to.

Countries such as Zimbabwe and South Africa have taken extreme measures of putting in place a national lockdown while Nigeria has done the same on major cities. All this to ensure that they limit the spread of the brutality contagious virus.

Amidst all these strategies, the numbers of Covid-19 cases in the continent continue soaring, a situation that reflects the other parts of the world.

With no vaccine or treatment yet prescribed for Covid-19, Africa, like the rest of the world is banking on preventing the spread other than wait to deal with hundreds of thousands of patients who will end up needing treatment.

With the equipment set to arrive soon, room for more testing and protection of front-liners like nurses and doctors will crucial in containing the contagion.