The Coca-Cola Foundation partners with Uganda Red Cross Society to Drive COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake

The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) through its partner Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) in Uganda has donated UGX360 million to Uganda Red Cross Society to support their COVID-19 drive to promote vaccine uptake.

The donation will be utilized towards supporting activities at vaccination sites, vaccine distribution, Personal Protective Equipment procurement (PPEs) and awareness efforts promoting vaccination and sanitary practices to reduce the spread of the virus.

Naphtal Baguma Director Supply Chain Management at the Uganda Red Cross Society Melkamu Abebe General Manager Coca-Cola Beverages Africa and Irene Nakasiita Head Coca

Uganda Red Cross Society has been at the forefront of championing risk communication, community engagement and mobilization for vaccine acceptance. Speaking at the handover ceremony Naphtal Baguma, Director Supply Chain Management at the Uganda Red Cross Society said: “Since 2020, when Uganda experienced the first COVID-19 case, Coca Cola committed to working with the Red Cross to avert the spread of COVID-19 in communities. Now that the economy has opened, we are supporting the Government of Uganda to roll out the Community Engagement Strategy on COVID-19 and as such, our efforts are now towards increasing vaccine uptake, and acceptance. The donated funds will go a long way in giving us a push to fulfil our mandate as part of securing the health of the people of Uganda. Thank you, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa.”

Since the onset of the pandemic, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa has been engaged in various activities aimed at mitigating the spread of the virus to enable the reopening of the economy for business.

The company diverted all its advertising expenditure towards COVID-19 initiatives in different communities across the country partnering with government, communities, NGOs, and different sector players to support economic recovery. In his remarks, Melkamu Abebe, General Manager, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) in Uganda reiterated the company’s commitment to supporting the Ugandan economy to fully reopening and bounce back to pre-pandemic times.

“Healthy communities, signify a healthy business environment. COVID-19 is not a problem to be left for a few people, it requires collective action. By now, we all know how we can protect ourselves, we have heard it over and over and yet, sometimes we let our guard down. It is important to continue driving awareness and vaccine uptake not only to save lives but also to help the economy to bounce back to pre-covid times. That can only happen if we achieve 100% compliance to vaccine uptake,” he said.

“We are driven by our people-focused agenda that drives our impactful community initiatives. We believe in impacting change in the communities we operate in, so our duty is first to our people – employees, their family, business partners, and the community. We are not safe, until everyone is safe,” he concluded.

In 2020, The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) made a substantial donation (186 million shillings) to Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) towards Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) activities and another 360 million Shillings towards relief food packages during the peak of the lockdown.

Across Africa and in partnership with NGOs, Coca-Cola in Africa, and its bottling partners (the Coca-Cola System) and The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF), continue to deploy a range of resources, including capabilities, funds, and products to support governments, communities and local economies in their urgent efforts to contain the spread and impact of the Coronavirus since its outbreak on the continent.