Coca-Cola Partners Red Cross in Fight against COVID-19 in Nigeria

Martin Ifijeh

The Coca-Cola Foundation has provided a grant to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria.

The intervention is to scale up community sensitisation and procure essential protective kits such as medical masks, face shields, hand gloves and hand sanitisers which are increasingly needed for healthcare workers and others who are courageously battling the pandemic on the frontlines in the most affected states in the country.

The President, Coca-Cola Foundation, Helen Smith Price said: “We are concerned about the coronavirus outbreak across the globe. Through our foundation, we are supporting IFRC and their efforts to distribute medical supplies to frontline workers in Africa. As a longtime partner of the IFRC, we are proud to support critical relief efforts in impacted communities.”

Separately, the Nigeria Bottling Company and Chi Limited have donated bottles of Eva premium table water and Evap milk to provide hydration and nourishment for healthcare workers and their patients at the treatment centres across states in the country.

IFRC’s Regional Director for Africa and Special Advisor to the Secretary-General, Dr. Simon Missiri said: “The potential humanitarian impact of this partnership with The Coca-Cola Foundation is significant – aiming to directly impact 1.3 million people in Nigeria and other countries in the region. With 1.4 million volunteers and over 12,000 local branches across Africa, the Red Cross and Red Crescent, in collaboration with partners, communities and national authorities, can help even the most remote marginalized populations to protect themselves from COVID-19.”