TIDMVOD
Vodafone Group Plc
07 April 2021
7 April 2021
VODAFONE FOUNDATION AND VODACOM GROUP DONATE TO SECURE COVID
VACCINE SUPPLY IN ITS AFRICA MARKETS
-- Vodafone Foundation and Vodacom Group will donate EUR4.2
million (R74 million) to support the vaccine roll-out to vulnerable
and hard to reach communities across its markets in Africa.
-- The contribution will buy cold-chain technology and provide
logistics support to help to ensure the safe delivery of Covid-19
vaccines that need to be stored at extremely cold temperatures.
-- Separately the organisations will donate EUR0.8 million (R13
million) to Lesotho to purchase vaccines.
-- The Vodafone and Vodacom Group Foundations have already
contributed EUR10 million (R176 million) in cash and in-kind
donations in response to the pandemic.
Vodafone Foundation and Vodacom Group have pledged to donate
EUR4.2 million (R74 million) to ensure that Covid-19 vaccines are
securely delivered to its markets across the continent. Procurement
of the life-saving equipment will be managed through the African
Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT), established by the African
Union as a component in support of the Africa Vaccine Strategy
.
Last week AVATT signed a procurement agreement on behalf of
African Union member states for 220 million Johnson and Johnson
single dose vaccines manufactured in South Africa. There is an
option for an additional 180 million doses. Africa is also
acquiring 700 million vaccines from the World Health Organization
initiative known as COVAX. The continent intends to roll out enough
vaccines for 760 million people before the end of next year.
The donations from Vodafone Foundation and Vodacom Group will be
used to buy equipment to maintain the cold-chain needed for the
vaccines to stay at optimal sub-zero temperatures in order to
remain viable, and assist with the logistics support around the
distribution of the vaccines.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, African Union COVID-19 Champion ,
said: "Greater collaboration between government, business, labour
and civil society is key to the success of the vaccine rollout. We
commend the Vodacom Group and Vodafone Foundation. I want to call
on all our private sector partners to support this new phase in our
fight against the pandemic."
Nick Read, CEO, Vodafone Group, said: "By supporting Africa's
vaccine roll-out we help to protect some of the most vulnerable
communities in the countries we serve. Vodafone also encourages our
employees globally to support the vaccine delivery appeals by GAVI,
the Vaccine Alliance and UNICEF to help safeguard health workers
and the most high-risk people on our planet."
African Union Special Envoy on Vaccine Acquisitions, Strive
Masiyiwa expressed his deep appreciation for the intervention,
saying: " This is a smart, and strategic donation which will have a
far reaching impact, even beyond this pandemic. The African Union
initiative is also supported by UNICEF which helped to specify the
equipment and will also help countries to acquire the right
equipment."
Shameel Joosub, CEO of Vodacom Group, said: "Targeted donations
from Vodafone Foundation and Vodacom Group will help nations to
address the complexity of maintaining a cold-chain and the
logistics around the distribution so that the lifesaving Covid-19
vaccines remain viable. We are proud to be standing shoulder to
shoulder with the African Union and national governments to provide
practical support for what is an enormous logistical challenge for
resource-limited African countries with significant rural
populations."
Separately, Vodafone Foundation and Vodacom have donated EUR0.8
million (R13 million) in support of the Lesotho government's call
for companies operating in the Kingdom to assist with its
vaccination programme. The funds will be used to purchase vaccines.
The contribution will target Phase Three of the country's
vaccination plan. That includes much of Lesotho's public and
private workforce.
Andrew Dunnett, Director, Vodafone Foundation, said: "We know
how important it is for Africa - and ultimately the rest of the
world - that the most significant health intervention in the
continent's history is completed successfully. This donation builds
upon the EUR10m (R176m) in grants and in kind contributions that
Vodafone and Vodacom Group Foundations have already made in
response to the pandemic."
- ends -
For further information:
Vodafone Group
Media Relations Investor Relations
GroupMedia@vodafone.com IR@vodafone.co.uk
About Vodafone Foundation
Vodafone Foundation's strategy of 'Connecting for Good' combines
Vodafone's charitable giving and technology to address some of the
world's most pressing problems. Established in 1991, Vodafone
Foundation is at the centre of a network of global and local social
investment programmes. Vodafone Foundation is an independent UK
registered charity, registered charity number 1089625.
For more information, visit: www.vodafonefoundation.org
About Vodacom
Vodacom is a leading African communications company providing a
wide range of communication services, including data, mobile and
fixed voice, messaging, financial services, enterprise IT and
converged services to 120 million customers (including Safaricom).
From our roots in South Africa, we have grown our mobile network
business to include operations in Tanzania, the Democratic Republic
of the Congo (the DRC), Mozambique, Lesotho and Kenya. Our mobile
networks cover a population of over 296 million people. Through
Vodacom Business Africa (VBA), we offer business managed services
to enterprises in 29 countries. Vodacom is majority owned by
Vodafone (60.5% holding), one of the world's largest communications
companies by revenue.
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