Dangote, Jack Ma, others commit N26.4bn to fight Coronavirus

As a result of the outbreak of the novel disease, Covid-19, an infectious disease caused by Corona virus, different brands have contributed over 72 million dollars to combat spread of the disease.

The disease which was declared pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), has greatly affected almost all sectors of the global community, ranging from technology to education sector.

This analysis looks at an aggregate of donations made by some of the brand executives featured in this piece.

Ford announced on Tuesday that the manufacturing company will be shifting production to respirators and ventilators, as New York City faces massive shortages of medical supplies during the coronavirus outbreak.

The motor company will partner with 3M Company to build powered-air purifying respirators at its factory in Michigan and with GE Health to make ventilators, the company said online.

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Ford also plans to make and distribute 75,000 face masks this week in collaboration with the United Auto Workers union. By April, the company said it should be manufacturing 100,000 masks a week.

In the same vein, Alibaba founder, Jack Ma, the second-richest person in China, pledged $14 million from his foundation to help develop a coronavirus vaccine and stated on March 13, that he would donate 500,000 testing kits and one million face masks to the U.S.

He wrote on twitter, ‘’The first shipment of masks and coronavirus test kits to the US is taking off from Shanghai. All the best to our friends in America.’’

When the number of cases increased in the United States, Microsoft founder and billionaire philanthropist, Bill Gates made a substantial pledge to help researchers develop a treatment.

Funded through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 50 million dollars was dispersed to 12 pharmaceutical companies and biotech firms which are actively looking to find an effective vaccine against the coronavirus.

Bill Gates Foundation said in a tweet, ‘’We’re joining forces with wellcometrust and Mastercard to create the #COVID19 Therapeutics Accelerator to identify, assess, develop, and scale-up treatments to the epidemic.’’

Airbnb CEO, Brian Chesky, announced on Twitter that the company will allow guests around the world to cancel and get their money refunded.

Ken Griffin’s firm Citadel announced it will donate $7.5 million to one of China’s hardest-hit provinces. Ted Leonsis, the owner of the NBA’s Wizards, the NHL’s Capitals, the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, two Arena Football teams and the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., announced that he would pay all 500 ushers, ticket takers, operations folks and other part-time employees who were scheduled to work through the end of March despite the venue being closed.

Nigeria brands have also not been left out in this fight to combat the viral disease. Nigeria’s richest industrialist, Aliko Dangote donated 200 million Naira to fight the disease in Nigeria.

The Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) made this donation to support current effort of the Nigerian government towards curbing the spread of Corona Virus or Covid-19 in the country.

The Foundation earmarked N124million that will support facilities to help prevent, assess and respond to health events at Point of Entry to ensure National Health Security.

We will also agree that brands focused on production of disinfectants, are presently recording sales surge in this line of business.

Recently, Hypo Hygiene Products partnered with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to contain the spread of Coronavirus disease in Nigeria by donating 100 cartons of Hypo bleach.

The company’s Brand Manager, Akintayo Akinseloyin said in a statement that the gesture was in line with the company’s commitment to promote environmental hygiene to reduce the outbreak of diseases through its brand of bleach.

The Banking institutions are also geared towards this fight. First Bank of Nigeria Limited announced proactive measures to protect employees, customers and stakeholders to control the spread of the COVID–19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.

On their own part, Tech companies like Facebook, Twitter, Google, Pinterest are fighting to dispel misinformation on coronavirus.

Nigeria has been battling to contain the coronavirus scourge since an undisclosed Italian, who returned to the country on February 24 became the first confirmed case.