Kampala: In order to combat the spread of misinformation and to mitigate the deadly spread of COVID-19, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the African Union and The Rockefeller Foundation have joined hands with celebrity influencers to launch Africa Covid Champions Campaign dubbed “One by One” in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Uganda.
The Campaign features influencers such as Awilo Longomba, DJ Spilulu, Top Congo Radio, Mama Radio, Wezi Victoria, Simon Mwewa Lane, Hot FM, Icengelo FM, Martha Kemigisha Kagimba (Martha Kay) and GNL Zamba.
The Campaign’s celebrity influencers have been designated by the Africa CDC as ‘AfricaCOVIDChampions.’ One By One has equipped each of the influencers with Africa CDC approved “COVID Engagement Toolkits” which contain accurate messages about prevention of the pandemic and about COVID vaccines.
The Campaign is aimed at equipping citizens across Africa with accurate information on COVID-19 prevention and COVID vaccines. AfricaCOVIDChampions will help ensure that accurate, life-saving information about COVID-19 vaccines reaches Africans across the continent. As Martha Kay, media personality, Uganda, remarked, “A year into this pandemic, Uganda and Africa continue to fight this deadly disease. Now that Africa is experiencing a third wave of COVID-19, it is vital that all Africans are informed about the importance of vaccines to stop the spread of this deadly virus and prevent new infections.”
Seed Global Health has been instrumental in leading the efforts of the AfricanCOVIDChampions Campaign in Uganda.
“The last frontier is vaccines. Vaccines are about to hit Zambia. The biggest challenge we are going to have is convincing our people that it is important to take these vaccines,” said Simon Mwewa Lane, Campaign Ambassador, Zambia.
The Africa Covid Champions Campaign is made possible by the generous support of The Rockefeller Foundation. “These tools and resources are necessary to end the pandemic and recover in a way that enables sustainable and resilient growth well into the future.”
The development comes at a time when Uganda has registered 480 new cases in the last 24hours, bringing the cumulative confirmed cases to 88,674.
The breakdown of the new cases are: Kampala (236) Kyotera (35) Wakiso (29) Masaka (22) Gulu (16) Kalangala (15) Mitooma (10) Buikwe (9) Bududa (8) Kagadi (8) Kabarole (8) Nebbi (7) Arua (7) Nakaseke (5) Buvuma (5) Isingiro (4) Adjumani (5) Koboko (3) Mbale (3) Namisindwa (3) Bukomansimbi (3) Kalungu (3)Rakai (2) Yumbe (2) Sironko (2) Bushenyi (2) Busia (2) Kabale (2) Kirgum (2) Mbarara (5) Mubende (1) Kanunugu (1) Mukono (1) Rubirizi (1) Lira (1) Tororo (1) Luuka (1) Moyo (2) Bunyangabu (1) Buhweju(1) among others.