Amref Africa team up with Coca-Cola to help Kenya fight corona

• The masks will be sold at subsidised prices of up to 50 per cent discount within Dagoretti
• The support from Coca-Cola is also creating an opportunity for young women to gain skills that are enabling them to earn a living

Coca Cola Beverages Africa, Public Affairs, Communication & Sustainability Director- Kenya, Susan Maingi (left), presents a dummy cheque for Kshs. 17.5 Million to one of the AMREF Health Africa beneficiaries, Josephine Aluoch. The Coca-Cola Foundation has provided Amref Health Africa with a total of Sh17.5 million to support several health initiatives in the fight against the spread of Coronavirus in the country.

Amref Health Africa in Kenya with support from Coca-Cola Beverages Africa Kenya (CCBA Kenya) has commenced the manufacturing of personal protective equipment (PPE) to fight COVID-19 at its Dagoretti Centre in Nairobi.

The initiative is supporting young women and girls from informal settlements around Nairobi to produce masks and surgical gowns to be affordably sold to local communities and hospitals across the country to help in preventing the spread of COVID-19.

According to Amref Health Africa in Kenya’s Country director Meshack Ndirangu, the masks will be sold at subsidised prices of up to 50 per cent discount within Dagoretti, working with community health workers as the primary distribution channel.

”We will also make use of Amref programmes across the country to distribute the masks in their areas of implementation,” Ndirangu said.

The support from Coca-Cola is also creating an opportunity for young women to gain skills that are enabling them to earn a living at a time when many businesses have been disrupted.

”We look forward to seeing them make use of these new competencies to start their own enterprises,” Xavier Selga, managing director, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa Kenya said.

The Coca-Cola Foundation is providing Amref Health Africa with a total of Sh17.5 million to support several health initiatives in the fight against the spread of Coronavirus in the country.

In addition to the production of PPEs, Amref Health Africa will use the funds to provide access to enhanced hand hygiene and sanitation to communities in need across the country.

Other activities under this initiative include building the capacity of the Ministry of Health staff to undertake disinfection and decontamination of public premises, providing basic diagnostic and screening equipment and supporting women and youth groups to make hygiene products such as soap.

The support is part of Coca-Cola’s global efforts to help control the spread of COVID-19 with Kenya being among the 13 African countries in East and Central Africa receiving support.

Article first published by the Star News Paper: https://bit.ly/3bW4TmO