The first United Nations “Solidarity Flight” to Addis Ababa transported the vital medical cargo to all countries in Africa, where supplies are desperately needed to contain the spread of COVID-19.
WHO cargo was transported by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), and included one million face masks, as well as personal protective equipment such as face shields, gloves, goggles, gowns, medical aprons enough to protect health workers who are treating more than 30 000 patients across the continent. It also included thermometers, ventilators and laboratory supplies to support surveillance and detection.
A large quantity of medical supplies was in the cargo. The supplies were donated by the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Jack Ma Foundation Initiative to reverse COVID-19 in Africa. The African Union, through the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is providing technical support and coordination for the distribution of the supplies.
WHO’s logistics hub in Dubai, staffed by a team of seven, has been working around the clock to dispatch over 130 shipments of PPE and laboratory supplies to 95 countries across all six WHO regions.