Your Excellency Josep Borrel Fontelles, EU High Representative for External Affairs and Vice-President of the European Commision
Excellency Stephan Auer, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany
Excellency Janez Lenarčič, EU Commissioner for Crisis Management
Excellency Birgitte Markussen, Head of the EU Delegation to the AU
Distinguished guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
I bring you warm greetings from African Union Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat. It is an honour and privilege to join you, on this occasion – of the handover of Medical Supplies to the African Union by the Federal Republic of Germany. I am told the items were transported by the EU Humanitarian Air Bridge.
On behalf of the leadership of our Union and the people of Africa, I wish to express our sincere gratitude to the Government of Germany and indeed the European Commission for this gesture of fraternal solidarity.
This donation could not have been more timely. The global corona virus pandemic is still raging and mutating and the existential treat has not receded.
The Africa CDC, has, since the outbreak of the pandemic, been working closely with the Government of Germany, to fight and contain its spread in Africa, under the leadership of Commissioner Amira Elfadil and our indefatigable and brilliant Dr. John Nkengasong .
The Government of Germany and the European Commission have supported the Africa CDC with laboratory testing kits and medical supplies since the outbreak of the pandemic. These items have been evenly distributed to African Union Member States, with the valuable assistance of Ethiopia and Ethiopia Airlines.
Excellencies
As of 6 October, 2020 member states of the Africa Union have reported more than 1.5 million confirmed cases, 1.2 million recoveries and 37, 000 deaths.
Even though Africa has made some progress in the testing for Covid-19, we are still lagging behind in the scaling up of testing, due to various constraints - the major one being the shortage of test kits and medical supplies. That is why your intervention today is so much appreciated.
Currently, about 16 million tests have been carried out in Africa. But our population of 1.3 billion, renders it critical that our health institutions are equipped with the relevant medical supplies and equipment to scale up testing in our communities.
Excellencies,
Africa and Europe have come a long way historically and are geographical neighbours. Let us work together to develop strategic advantage from this fact.
To this end, a lot has been achieved through working with the EU, its member states and its development agencies such as the GIZ, within the domain of strengthening our strategic partnership in governance, institutional development, and capacity building, improving health systems, humanitarian affairs, peace and security, among several other domains.
Within the African Union Commission, considerable progress has been made, with the help of the EU and its member states’ in both technical and budgetary support to the Commission.
We remain optimistic that our partnership with the Government of Germany and the European Commission, in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic will achieve the desired results.
I am reliably informed by the Management of the Africa CDC that the donation we are receiving today, will be dispatched to all member states of our Union, as has been the case with earlier donations.
To conclude, I wish to once again, render our since appreciation to the Government and people of Germany as well as the European Commission for this generous donation.
I thank you for your kind and polite attention.
