To strengthen the war against the COVID-19 pandemic, the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), has provided a $100 million financing to enable its member states to procure medical resources through the Africa Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP) to battle the scourge.
The funding is available to African governments to acquire medical supplies through the AMSP in the form of pre-approved overdraft limits for each African government. This facility quickens access to critical COVID-19 containment and therapeutic supplies by bridging short term funding gaps that African states may be experiencing.
Launched in June, the AMSP was developed by the African Union’s Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Afreximbank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), under the leadership of the African Union Special Envoy for COVID-19 procurements, Mr. Strive Masiyiwa. The AMSP is operated by the technology firm Janngo. It was established to facilitate pooled and transparent procurement by African countries. Its services have now been made available to countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
A product of continent-widecollaboration, the AMSP aggregates medical supplies and serves as a unique interface for African governments and NGOs to easily coordinate sourcing.