COVID-19: UNICEF partners IHS Nigeria to donate medical kits

To support the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has taken delivery of 115, 800 COVID-19 test kits funded by IHS Nigeria, the Nigerian subsidiary of IHS Towers.

In a release, the body said
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.

According to the Director General, NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, “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.”

He further stated that the primary goal of the Federal Government is to control the spread of the virus.

Ihekweazu stated that the donation from IHS Nigeria through UNICEF will contribute to the national stockpile of test kits managed by the centre 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,” he added.

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

UNICEF Country Representative, Peter Hawkins said, “We are 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 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.”

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of IHS Nigeria, Mohamad Darwish said the body is proud to have played an important role in supporting the Federal Government and the communities where they operate to provide crucial tools needed to fight the 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,” he said.

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.