The Coca-Cola Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Coca-Cola Company, has provided grants to the International Federation of Red Cross, and the Red Crescent Societies to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

A statement from the foundation yesterday said the donation was aimed at scaling up community sensitization and procurement of essential protective kits such as medical masks, face shields, hand gloves and hand sanitizers.

These items are increasingly needed by healthcare workers and others battling the pandemic on the frontlines in the most affected states in the country, the statement said.

President, The Coca-Cola Foundation, Helen Smith Price said: "We are concerned about the coronavirus outbreak across the globe. Through The Coca-Cola Foundation, we are supporting the 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."

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

Dr Simon Missiri, IFRC's Regional Director for Africa and Special Advisor to the Secretary-General said the potential humanitarian impact of the partnership with the Coca-Cola Foundation was significant and targeted at impacting 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," he said.

Copyright Daily Trust. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com)., source News Service English