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Business Reporter
PAN-African digital solutions investor, Janngo has joined forces with the Strive Masiyiwa-led Africa Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP), a single online marketplace adopted by the African Union to enable the supply of Covid-19- related critical medical equipment across the continent.

The Zimbabwean billionaire and philanthopist, Mr Masiyiwa, was recently appointed African Union special envoy in hannessing Covid-19 medical supplies while Janngo has come in to power the initiative on behalf of the African Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) in partnership with AfreximBank, UN Economic Commission for Africa and other leading African and international institutions.

The AMSP unlocks immediate access to an African and global base of vetted manufacturers and procurement strategic partners and enables AU member states to purchase certified medical equipment such as diagnostic kits, PPE and clinical management devices with improved cost effectiveness and transparency.

The platform serves as a unique interface enabling volume aggregation, quota management, payment facilitation as well as logistics and transportation to ensure equitable and efficient access to critical supplies for African governments.

Under the initiative, the Afreximbank will facilitate payments while logistics partners, including African national carriers, global freight forwarders, will expedite delivery.

“The Africa Medical Supply Platform is just one innovation that African countries have developed ourselves, to help mitigate the devastating impact of this pandemic that threatens both the health of our people and our national economies.

“We are already getting requests from other parts of the world to franchise the AMSP concept,” said Mr Masiyiwa in a press statement issued by Janngo.

“Africa is leading the way with this online solution to ensure all of our governments get access to PPEs and other urgent medical supplies they need, at fair prices.”

Director of Africa CDC, Dr John Nkengasong was also quoted saying the drive was committed to “providing market intelligence on where the manufacturers are, facilitating pooled procurement when financial resources are made available through this initiative, and distributing these products to respective African destinations”.

The mission-driven organisation hopes to leverage on Janngo’s three main pillars of venture building capability, financial and human capital support as well as knowledge sharing.

“The next 100 days are critical to turnaround the exponential trend of cases and deaths : both our sense of purpose and sense of urgency have never been stronger” commented Fatoumata Bâ, founder and executive chair of Janngo and managing partner of Janngo Capital.