{"id":2460,"date":"2021-10-29T09:34:39","date_gmt":"2021-10-29T09:34:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.msd-belgium.be\/en\/?post_type=story&p=2460"},"modified":"2021-12-10T07:43:16","modified_gmt":"2021-12-10T07:43:16","slug":"solidarity-rising-in-the-face-of-adversity","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.msd-belgium.be\/en\/stories\/solidarity-rising-in-the-face-of-adversity\/","title":{"rendered":"Solidarity rising in the face of adversity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n \n \n Responsibility<\/small>\n <\/a>\n \n \n

\n Solidarity rising in the face of adversity\n <\/h1>\n

Finding new ways to fight COVID-19 across diverse populations in Africa<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

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October 29, 2021<\/p>\n

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In many parts of Africa, poverty means that often 10 people are living in a one-room building less than three feet apart from their neighbors and many households share a single water pump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soap is a luxury item.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that means that precautionary measures such as social distancing and hand washing can be hard, if not impossible, to implement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe advice the world is getting is to practice social distancing and frequent handwashing, but that won\u2019t work for everyone here,\u201d says Priya Agrawal, a physician and our company\u2019s managing director in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. \u201cThere are people who have to leave their homes to get food and water for their families. If they must choose between basic survival and protecting themselves from COVID-19, hunger and thirst are going to win every time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COVID-19 infections have surfaced in approximately 215 countries and territories, including nearly 50 in Africa. When infections were first reported in Africa, governments and organizations swung into action to stop the spread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur continent is so diverse. We have good health care and communication in some areas, but they\u2019re stretched thin and extremely limited in others,\u201d says Priya. \u201cWe had to ask, \u2018How can we work together to stop this virus and protect the people and economy of Africa?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solidarity \u2018like I\u2019ve never seen before\u2019<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Our company and others in the private sector began working together and collaborating with governments and health organizations to find ways to help. \u201cSolidarity emerged like I\u2019ve never seen before,\u201d says Priya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donations from our company and other organizations and citizens to the President\u2019s Solidarity Fund provided support to relief organizations and purchased much-needed personal protective equipment (PPE) for the country. Priya, her husband and our company are working with many other volunteers from the private sector to procure PPE for all health workers in South Africa. In the first six weeks of the pandemic in South Africa, Business for South Africa (a group of companies that came together to support the Government\u2019s efforts in response to the pandemic) secured 900,000 pairs of sterile gloves, 12 million N95 masks, more than 38 million surgical masks for health workers and patients and 200 ventilators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCOVID-19 is an extraordinary challenge. And what I have observed in South Africa is extraordinary collaboration. Competitors working side-by-side for the country. Companies sharing information real-time to ensure everyone\u2019s employees were safe. Our company is dedicated to saving and improving lives, and that commitment extends well beyond medicines and vaccines,\u201d says Priya. \u201cIt includes supporting health care providers and the communities they serve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From masks to meals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cSouth African residents are required to wear cloth masks during lockdown, but not everyone can afford or have access to them,\u201d says Priya. \u201cAt the same time, we are seeing people suffer financial distress due to lost incomes. This affects women disproportionately, especially as women make up the majority of informal and migrant workers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of our employees came up with a brilliant idea: Help women who are out of work launch a business making cloth masks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis effort can help protect vulnerable populations from the virus and empowers these women to become entrepreneurs so they can continue to have an income and feed their families,\u201d says Priya.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Sustaining the silver lining<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Priya says companies, governments and relief organizations have shown \u201ccourageous decision-making and leadership\u201d during the COVID-19 public health crisis. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen many positive things, silver linings, emerge from this pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The power of partnerships is a key lesson learned in Africa during the virus outbreak. \u201cNow, we must sustain the silver linings and continue to work together,\u201d says Priya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Podcasting about the pandemic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Learn more insights from Priya Agrawal by listening to her podcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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