Africa CDC, MTN accelerate fight against Covid-19 with 'One More Push' campaign

MTN Uganda has rolled out yet another campaign dubbed ‘One More Push” with the aim of strengthening masses in the fight against the deadly COVID-19.

The “One More Push” campaign is spearheaded by The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, (Africa CDC) and pan-African operator MTN Group.

The joint campaign is meant to encourage people across the continent to not give up in the fight against COVID-19, and to continue to wear their masks, wash their hands and practice social distancing as well as getting vaccinated against the deadly virus.

Uganda, like many countries across the continent has been hit with a more ravaging wave of the virus that has seen the country register more deaths than before.

Moreover, this is happening at a time when masses suffer from increased apathy, mask fatigue, vaccine myths and misinformation, and an overall concern about vaccine efficacy and safety. This calls for renewed effort and zeal in deliberately fighting the spread of the disease.

Therefore, the ‘One More Push’ campaign has been launched to inspire and motivate the masses to give the fight against COVI-19, one more push.

Commenting about the new wave and the One More Push campaign, Dr John Nkengasong the Africa CDC Director said that with third and fourth waves of COVID-19 sweeping across parts of Africa, we cannot overstate the importance of everyone doing their best right now to keep the virus at bay.

"This campaign aims to encourage people to keep practising the preventative measures we know can limit the spread of COVID-19," he said.

Wim Vanhelleputte, the MTN Uganda CEO noted that the ‘One More Push’ campaign is about encouraging the people of Uganda and Africa to remain vigilant in fighting COVID-19, at a time when we are experiencing new waves of infections.

"Uganda is currently in the middle of the second wave of this pandemic which has been more detrimental than the first wave. In these times, we all ought to double our efforts to safeguard ourselves and loved ones against the deadly disease," Vanhelleputte said.

The awareness campaign is an extension of the African Union’s ‘Adapted Africa Joint Continental Strategy for COVID-19 Pandemic’ endorsed by Africa’s Health Ministers and aligned to the ‘prevent, monitor and treat’ approach.

It is also an extension of the partnership between the Africa CDC and MTN, which includes the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines to health workers across the continent through the group’s US$25 million donation.

A key part of the campaign is onemorepushafrica.com, a digital content hub of credible and authoritative third-party content covering all things related to COVID-19.

This includes facts around getting vaccinated, advice from leading healthcare bodies and medical experts, and important information from the Africa CDC.