African nations that lack ventilators to treat Covid-19 patients will receive some from the Jack Ma Foundation, an African Union official has said, as Nigeria stressed Africa’s dependence on a properly-funded World Health Organisation (WHO) to help it fight the pandemic.

With the pandemic driving up demand for protective equipment and medical supplies across the world, the African Union said it was working to set up its own joint procurement system.

The Jack Ma Foundation has donated 300 ventilators, which will arrive in coming weeks. John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said states without any ventilators would be prioritised as they are distributed.

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