Higherlife Foundation, along with the rest of the Econet Group, is doing its part in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic in the nation of Zimbabwe and the various communities it serves.
Through the heartfelt conviction of its Founders Strive Masiyiwa and Tsitsi Masiyiwa, in collaboration with their partners the ELMA Philanthropies, the Foundation secured 45 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ventilators that have now since arrived in the country and are ready to be distributed to Zimbabwe’s public hospitals.
Given the increasing positive cases, and now deaths, in Zimbabwe, the ventilators have arrived at a critical time, in the fight against COVID-19, and can save lives and strengthen the nation’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic that has battered economies and created a global health crisis.
First announced in April, the ventilators were manufactured in the UK and will receive technical support such, as service, repair, maintenance and training by Mars.
In addition to the ventilators, Higherlife Foundation also secured critical equipment required in creating a “Critical Care” suite, such as oxygen concentrators, which are vital in providing the much-needed oxygen to a patient that is being ventilated or needs oxygen therapy.
The equipment brought in also includes suction machines, laryngoscopes and consumables such as endotracheal tubes, infusion sets, drip stands, suction tubes, oxygen tubes, syringes, airway-filters, airways and nasal cannulas. Along with the ventilators is an oxygen splitter, which allows for a single ventilator to be used by two patients simultaneously.
Mr Masiyiwa is also the African Union Special Envoy mobilising the private sector response to COVID-19. Working with fellow philanthropists Sir Richard Branson and Jeff Skoll, the group have come up with two solutions that will see mass production of bridge ventilators and oxygen helmets to help African nations in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more about this here
