AstraZeneca, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, has supported the Government of Ghana Covid-19 Management Team with 35,000 surgical masks.

The donation made on Wednesday June 24 through representatives of AstraZeneca, will help protect the frontline health workers in the tireless fight to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in Ghana.

As with any pandemic, those most at risk are health workers tasked to attend to patients in their care.

AstraZeneca’s donation of protective face masks to the Ministry of Health will be distributed to Ghana’s frontline doctors, nurses and community healthcare workers, as they respond to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

As a global biopharmaceutical company committed to pushing the boundaries of science, AstraZeneca is working on various projects and rapidly progressing scientific advancements in the time of Covid-19.

These include Covid-19 monoclonal antibody research, investigating the potential of treatments, collaborating on Covid-19 diagnostic development, and partnering in the development and distribution of a potential Covid-19 vaccine.

William Ofori, representing AstraZeneca in Ghana, said “Our thoughts are with those suffering as result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the brave healthcare workers who are caring for them.

At AstraZeneca we are committed to continuing our support to our Healthcare community in Ghana, not only through donations such as this, but also through supporting healthcare professionals to connect, share and learn by providing diverse platforms that offer access to evidence-based quality guidance on care to patients during this time.“

Receiving the masks, Dr Bernard Oko Boye, Deputy Minister of Health, said with partnership the war against Covid-19 would be won but asked Ghanaians to take good care of themselves.

He expressed appreciation to AstraZeneca for the provision of the surgical masks, which is needed to control the rate of transmission.

"I am also glad the company is at the forefront partnering to find a vaccine," he said.

Dr Boye expressed hope that the partnership between AstraZeneca and the Ministry would be sustained into the future.