Nigeria COVID-19 Response: UNICEF Contributes Medical Supplies in collaboration with IHS Nigeria

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Sep 29, 2020, 13:45 ET

LAGOS, Nigeria, Sept. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) received the delivery of 115,800 COVID-19 test kits to support the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. These supplies were funded by IHS Nigeria, the Nigerian subsidiary of IHS Towers.

Testing remains the mainstay of the response led by the Presidential Task Force and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the first step towards diagnosing the infection. Tests enable health officials to understand the COVID-19 status of an individual and link that person to care, support and treatment while contributing to the protection of families and communities.

"Testing remains a core strategy of Nigeria's response to COVID-19. This is critical for understanding the burden of the disease on our population and targeting our response activities accordingly. The primary goal of the Nigerian Government is to control the spread of this disease. This donation from IHS Nigeria through UNICEF will contribute to the national stockpile of test kits managed by NCDC, and support efforts of the growing network of accredited laboratories across the country for the testing of COVID-19. We are grateful for the continued support from UNICEF, IHS Towers and other partners," said Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director General, NCDC.

IHS Towers has been a strong and continuing partner of UNICEF. At the onset of the coronavirus in Nigeria in late February, IHS Nigeria provided funding to UNICEF to urgently procure essential supplies and equipment with which UNICEF supported the Government of Nigeria in its COVID-19 response.

"UNICEF is deeply appreciative of IHS Towers' commitment to being a partner in UNICEF's work in Nigeria. Once more, IHS has shown great generosity in supporting UNICEF's ongoing efforts to work closely with the Government of Nigeria in the fight against COVID-19. I am very delighted to receive this huge contribution from IHS Towers, the benefit of which will reach many more children and their families," said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Country Representative.

"We are proud to have played an important role in supporting the Government and our communities where we operate to provide crucial tools needed to fight this pandemic. We understand this virus is here to stay for the foreseeable future, but are confident that with our support, and that of our other private sector colleagues, we are helping to manage and mitigate the impact of the virus in our country," said Mohamad Darwish, Chief Executive Officer of IHS Nigeria.

This recent support of essential tests makes IHS Towers the biggest private sector donor for UNICEF Nigeria's emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

About UNICEF

UNICEF works in some of the world's toughest places, to reach the world's most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org.

Follow UNICEF Nigeria on Twitter and Facebook. For more information about COVID-19 and guidance on how to protect children and families, visit www.unicef.org/coronavirus

About NCDC

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control is the country's national public health institute, with the mandate to lead the preparedness, detection and response to infectious disease outbreaks and public health emergencies. The Bill for an Act to establish NCDC was signed into law in November 2018, by President Muhammadu Buhari. The mission for the NCDC (2017-2021) is 'To protect the health of Nigerians through evidence-based prevention, integrated disease surveillance and response activities, using a One Health approach, guided by research and led by a skilled workforce'.

About IHS Towers

IHS Towers is the largest mobile telecommunications infrastructure provider in Africa, Europe and the Middle East, bringing the power of mobile technology to hundreds of millions, accelerating the digitalization of economies through the acquisition, management and construction of critical national infrastructure.

SOURCE IHS Towers