Africa’s richest person, Dangote was one of the first individuals to make donations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria. His foundation promptly donated N200 million ($517,000) to test and isolate COVID-19 patients just when the first case of the pandemic was recorded in the country. He has so far made another donation of N2 billion ($5.2 million) and also partnered with other private sector players to launch the Coalition against COVID-19 (CACOVID).

He is currently building a 600-bed isolation centre in Kano to manage the rising spread of the pandemic in the state.

As the Director of Pasteur Institute, Dr. Sall has been responsible for the development of affordable 3D-printed Ventilators priced at just $60 to replace imported ones that cost about $16,000 each. Thanks to his relentless efforts Senegal has been able to develop a 10-minute COVID-19 testing kit that costs only $1 and is pushing to have everyone in the West African country tested.

He also wants the rest of Africa to have access to these innovations so that they can detect, isolate, and treat COVID-19 patients more effectively.

Coming from one of the most affected countries in the world, the fashion magnate rose to the occasion when COVID-19 was having an unhindered onslaught against Spain. He has spent about $68 million on medical equipment for the Spanish healthcare system, including 1,450 ventilators, three million filter masks, and one million testing kits.

The governor of New York has been swimming against the current in his effort to prevent further spread of COVID-19 and also reduce the number of people dying from the disease in his state. New York is currently the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US with over 30,000 deaths among about 376,000 cases as of June 5.

But Cuomo has been able to manage the situation to an extent and the trend is gradually slowing down. With much work still left undone, he’s been holding the fort by working with key stakeholders to ensure that the pandemic is contained.

The President of Madagascar, Rajoelina is one of the leaders who have been proactive about finding a cure for COVID-19. He has overseen the development of a home-grown herbal remedy, Covid-Organics made from the artemisia plant, which he promotes as the ultimate cure for COVID-19. Rajoelina has been pushing for the recognition of his remedy as the WHO doubts its efficacy.

But after several African countries have ordered or shown interest in the product, the WHO has decided to sign a “confidentiality clause on the formulation of the Covid-Organics and offered to support the clinical trials in Africa, Rajoelina disclosed in May.

Through his Azim Premji Foundation, the chairman of the tech giant, Wipro has committed 1000 crore ($134 million) as humanitarian aid and healthcare support for tackling COVID-19 in India. His contribution which places him as one of the highest individual donors in the world was followed by a donation of 100 crores ($13 million) by the software development arm of his company, Wipro Limited. The engineering services division of the company, Wipro Enterprises Limited donated 25 crores ($3.3 million).

All the funds were geared towards ameliorating the unprecedented health and humanitarian crisis arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a crowded city like Lagos with an estimated population of over 20 million people, the spread of COVID-19 could become highly catastrophic. But the Lagos state governor, Sanwo-Olu has been pragmatic in handling the outbreak in the state. He has been leading a frontline response to the pandemic, sharing factual and relevant updates, calling for lockdown when it was necessary, and delivering stimulus packages to help the residents cushion the effects of the lockdown. Other states are taking notes.

Through her charitable initiative, BeyGOOD, Beyonce donated $6 million to Jack Dorsey’s Coronavirus relief fund, Start Small LLC, making her one of the celebrities with the highest contribution to the fight against COVID-19. The fund was set aside for providing aid to people suffering from mental health and the effects of the coronavirus.

She teamed up with her mother, Tina Knowles-Lawson to set up mobile Covid-19 testing centers in their hometown, Houston, Texas. She also launched the #IDIDMYPART campaign to encourage black communities to prioritize their health by observing the lockdown protocols.

Microsoft founder and renowned philanthropist, Bill Gates alongside his wife, Melinda Gates have been at the forefront of the fight against coronavirus through their Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In February, they committed $100 million to aid global detection, isolation, and treatment of COVID-19. By May, they’ve increased their donation to $305 million, making them the top three private donors in the world.

Beyond the donations, Bill Gates is at the centre of the response to COVID-19 and has been working with the WHO and other organizations to find a cure to the pandemic. He founded the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator where he’s financing up to seven research groups working to develop a vaccine for the disease.

As a Johns Hopkins-trained epidemiologist and an expert in viruses, the Taiwanese Vice President (now ex as of May 20, 2020), Chien-jen has been credited with helping the island avoid large-scale infections and deaths from the coronavirus. He has been responsible for tracking infections, pushing for vaccines and testing kits, while urging the public to wash their hands.

The diligent and transparent leadership of the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC is the reason most Nigerians know about the real situation of the COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria. Dr. Ihekweazu has been forthcoming with timely updates on the pandemic as well as working hard to ensure that the spread of the virus is contained.

The epidemiologist and public health physician, has been widely acknowledged as one of the most efficient leaders in Nigeria due to his well-coordinated approach to handling the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Ever since Ramaphosa became the president of South Africa he has been battling to stabilize the country which he inherited on the brink. Amid nagging economic challenges, he has been able to manage the COVID-19 incident in the country to a degree of satisfaction, conducting the highest number of tests than anywhere else in Africa.

As the chairman of the African Union (AU), he has been leading the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa and is facilitating the research for the COVID-19 vaccine at the Biovac Institute in Cape Town, South Africa.

As the Director of the Centre for Virology and Vaccine Research at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre (BIDMC), Barouch and his team began developing a COVID-19 vaccine in January after Chinese scientists released the viral genome of the coronavirus. He is among the group of researchers backed by the WHO to develop a cure for COVID-19.

The senior chairman of Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group, and Thai billionaire businessman, Chearavanont has donated more than 700 million baht (US$21.6 million) to fund his company’s initiatives to fight the spread of COVID-19 in Thailand. He also pledged his support to the Prime Minister and the government in whatever way possible to overcome the deadly disease.

US country singer, Dolly Parton donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee to help facilitate research on the vaccine for COVID-19. She was among the first celebrities to donate to finding a solution to the pandemic.

A few months before her sudden death on June 14, the businesswoman and founder of Nigeria’s leading events management company, Elizabeth R, was responsible for setting up some of the most critical isolation centres in Nigeria. She started with the construction of the pioneer COVID-19 isolation and treatment centre sponsored by GTBank in Onikan, Lagos. The 110-bed facility was put together in just three days.

She also set up another 250-bed isolation centre in the bowl of the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt, Rivers state. With the success of the first two centres, she was contracted to set up the isolation centres in Enugu, Abia and Bayelsa states. She delivered all the projects excellently, making it possible for Nigerians to have adequate isolation and treatment centres.

The prime minister of New Zealand, Ardern is known for showcasing a sobering sense of empathy and she brought that to bear in her fight against COVID-19 in the country. By convincing her people to adhere to a strict lockdown that lasted for 75 days, the country has successfully eliminated COVID-19 after initially recording a total of about 1,504 cases with 22 deaths and more than 1,480 recoveries.

Thanks to her swift response and leadership, life has now returned to normal with few exceptions in the country following this progress.

The co-founder and CEO of Twitter and Square is the only private individual to commit the highest amount to the fight against coronavirus and other causes. Dorsey offered to move $1 billion in Square shares, which accounts for approximately 28% of his estimated net worth into an LLC, Start Small to help put an end to COVID-19.

The fund, he says, will later shift to support girls health, education and universal basic income after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Co-founder and former executive chairman of Alibaba was one of the first responders to the incident of COVID-19 around the world. Ma donated 1.1 million testing kits, six million masks, and 60,000 protective suits and face shields to 54 African countries. He also sent medical supplies to several other countries including 500,000 testing kits and 1 million face masks to the U.S.

Following the donations, the Chinese billionaire also committed $14 million to help develop a vaccine for COVID-19. He also sent a second batch of testing kits and medical supplies to all 54 African countries, including 500 ventilators. The third batch to the continent included 4.6 million masks, 500,000 test kits, 300 ventilators, and several other medical supplies.

Kenya’s leading financial magnate and CEO of Equity Group, Mwangi has been supporting COVID-19 efforts in the country through his donation of Ksh300 million ($2.82 million). The fund is the largest individual contribution by a Kenyan.

On April 2, the world’s richest person announced that he would be donating $100 million to help feed many people through Feeding America, a network of food banks in the US. Through Amazon, he has approved a $20 million fund for the AWS Diagnostic Development Initiative to make COVID-19 testing accessible and affordable. He has also created many incentives for Amazon staff and offered to hire up to 100,000 new full-time and part-time employees.

The majority of the world was oblivious about how devastating the outbreak of coronavirus was becoming until Dr. Wenliang, a frontline doctor in Wuhan raised an alarm about the pandemic. His warning which later went viral helped escalate the response to COVID-19 across the globe. Unfortunately, he was eventually affected by COVID-19 and it wasn’t long before he died from the disease on February 7, leaving behind his pregnant wife and their son.

Dr Wenglian was hailed a hero after his death due to the circumstances surrounding his passing. His death sparked outrage in China after it was revealed that he had been sanctioned by the local authorities for warning fellow doctors in a group chat on Chinese social network, WeChat about a possible epidemic outbreak like SARS in December 2019. He was forced to sign a document agreeing not to make false statements that disturbed the public peace. He’ll later pay the ultimate price, after giving the world a heads-up on what was coming.

Through their Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Facebook founder and his wife, Priscilla have given $60 million to COVID-19 relief efforts, including $20 million for Bill Gates’ COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator. They have donated to education-related grants and in a UC San Francisco’s lab to expand free COVID-19 testing.

After committing $40 million to curb the spread of COVID-19 in low-income and developing countries around the world, the co-founder of Bloomberg L.P has donated to many charities and organizations. As of April 23, he has committed a total of $74.5 million to COVID-19 efforts, including an $8 million donation to the WHO Response Fund.

The former New York City mayor whose state has been terribly affected by the spread of coronavirus has also offered to fund the launch of an “army of tracers” who will be responsible for conducting COVID-19 tests across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

The billionaire founder and Chairman of the telecoms giant, Glo, has committed N1.5 billion ($3.9 million) to aid the response against COVID-19 in Nigeria. About N1 billion ($2.6 million) of his donations were made to the Federal government while the rest was given to the Lagos state government.

Adenuga is also working with the private sector-led Coalition against COVID-19, CACOVID, to combat the spread of coronavirus in Nigeria.

Through his oil and gas company, Reliance Industries, Ambani has donated 500 crore ($67 million) to the Indian Prime Minister’s fund for the prevention of Coronavirus in the country. He also set up India’s first dedicated 100-bed COVID-19 facility at the Seven Hills Hospital in Mumbai, while Reliance began the production of up to 100,000 masks per day and delivering free meals to many people in cities across the country.

Two states in India, Maharashtra (Ambani’s home state) and Gujarat (where Reliance’s largest refinery is located) have both received 5 crore ($660,000) each from the billionaire.

The founder and CEO of West Africa’s first air ambulance service, Naija Flying Doctors has been facilitating COVID-19 testing by developing the capacity for performing up to 6,000 tests in Nigeria since April 2020. She has helped in setting up walk-in and drive-through testing centers in various states across the country including, Ogun, Zamfara, and Lagos.

With many people drifting into economic hardship following the COVID-19 lockdown in the US, media mogul Oprah pledged $10 million to help affected people across the country and in places where she grew up. A portion of the donation — $1 million was earmarked for a feeding initiative, America’s Food Fund which engages in feeding people through a network of food banks.

The founder and Chairman of African Rainbow Minerals, has been one of the highest donors to COVID-19 efforts in Africa. Motsope has so far pledged R1 billion ($57 million) to help his country, South Africa in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the funds will be used by the government to build health and education centers as well as provide water.

Since early February, Professor Shattock, the head of mucosal infection and immunity at Imperial College London, has been working to develop an RNA vaccine for COVID-19. He has made significant progress in his research and with the backing of the UK government, he’s one of the scientists that have a shot at finding the cure for COVID-19.

As the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Adhanom has been providing a rallying point and continuous engagement in the response to the coronavirus outbreak. He is also overseeing the development of the COVID-19 vaccine by various organizations and rightfully plays the role of the global incident manager of the pandemic.

The Ethiopian public health researcher became the first non-physician and first African to lead the WHO and his candour in steering the challenging times has been quite exemplary, leaving no doubt that he would be able to lead the world through the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.

Aside from being a renowned neurosurgeon and Associate professor of neurosurgery at Emory University, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the Chief Medical Correspondent of CNN has been helping people around the world make sense of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through his daily segment on CNN, he answers questions on all things related to the Coronavirus outbreak from people of all ages and backgrounds, including children.

The LifeBank founder and social entrepreneur, has been one of the frontline responders to the incident of COVID-19 in Nigeria. Through her company, Giwa-Tubosun has been coordinating and delivering essential medical supplies across the country. With support from the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), she has also built free mobile drive-through coronavirus test centres through LifeBank in Lagos and Ibadan.

One of Africa’s most influential philanthropists and the chairman of UBA Group, Elumelu has donated N1 billion ($2.5 million) to help amplify the COVID-19 efforts in Nigeria. He also approved a N5 billion ($12 million) donation from the UBA Group to the federal government, the Lagos state government, and African countries with the bank’s presence.

This gesture puts him as one of the highest contributors to the fight against COVID-19 in Africa.

After facing some criticisms on her economic policies and disjointed approach to managing the fight against COVID-19 in Europe, the President of the European Union Commission, Leyen has been making concerted efforts to tackle the pandemic. She has been able to bring world leaders together to pledge $8 billion to aid research for COVID-19 vaccine that will be distributed worldwide.

The President of China, Xi Jinping may have started his response to the coronavirus outbreak on a wrong foot, but he has been keen on seeing an end to the pandemic which has become a heavy burden to his citizens and many people around the world. He has commissioned a lot of research in a bid to develop a vaccine for the COVID-19 in record time.

With many pointing accusing fingers at his country, the stern leader has sought to make amends by approving the donation of testing kits, medical supplies and even doctors to countries struggling with the effect of the ravaging coronavirus.

At the heart of the ravaging coronavirus pandemic, Xuefeng Yu, the co-founder, chairman and CEO of CanSino Biologics, has been working tirelessly to develop a vaccine against COVID-19. The highly accomplished Biopharmaceutical expert is one of the researchers endorsed by the WHO to find a cure for the COVID-19 pandemic which has now claimed over 360,000 lives among more than 5.8 million cases worldwide.

With rich experience from previously working as Director, Bioprocess R&D, and Corporate Platform Leader at Sanofi Pasteur Inc., one of the world’s largest vaccine suppliers, he’s making progress on his research. The National Research Council of Canada has partnered with his company to conduct human trials on the COVID-19 vaccine that is currently in development.

Alibaba Group has created many projects to support the fight against COVID-19, following many generous offers from its founder, Jack Ma. The group has donated $144 million for rural support programs and have made its AI computing systems available to public research institutions around the world for free.

The company’s infrastructure has been responsible for streaming many virtual conferences and online medical exchanges. Some platforms of the group like Youku have launched programmes that provide students with learning tools in a secure environment.

In March, the Asian Development Bank earmarked $6.5 billion in its initial response to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic among its developing member countries. Later in April, the bank tripled the response package to $20 billion.

By increasing the package, the bank has been able to lend out $1.5 billion to India to help fund its response to the novel coronavirus. It has also offered $6 million financial assistance to Tonga, $20 million to Bhutan, and committed $2 billion to support the private sector in the region.

With the entire world at various stages of lockdown, biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has been moving fast to produce the COVID-19 vaccine that would bring things back to normal. With a $1.2 billion funding from the US government, the company is overseeing the development and distribution of a potential vaccine by Oxford University, which will be made available by September.

The Biomedical Advanced Research Development Agency (BARDA) is one of the highest contributors to the development of the COVID-19 vaccine. The agency which is under the US Department of Health and Human Services has so far committed $483 million to Moderna and an additional $1.2 billion contribution to AstraZeneca for development, production and delivery of its potential vaccine starting in September.

BARDA is one of the leading agencies that are determined to make the vaccine for COVID-19 available before the end of the year.

The Coalition against COVID-19, CACOVID was launched in March as a joint effort by the private sector-led organizations in Nigeria to assist the government in the fight against COVID-19 in the country. With some major companies like Dangote Group, Access Bank and MTN taking the lead, the coalition led by the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, has been able to raise N27 billion ($69.7 million) as of May.

Part of the fund is being used to support the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC in contact tracing activities. The coalition has also ordered 250,000 test kits and established six isolation centres in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Rivers, Enugu, and Borno.

China-based CanSino Biologics is the lab behind the potential COVID-19 vaccine candidate Ad5-nCoV which is on Phase II Clinical Trials. It is also a contender to Moderna’s mRNA-1273. CanSino Biologics is one of few vaccine makers that are close to solving the COVID-19 pandemic once and for all.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is working with global medical research institutions and vaccine developers to provide funding for the rapid development of the COVID-19 vaccine. The organization which is publicly funded was founded to drive research and development of vaccines that could be released during disease outbreaks. So far, it has funded many COVID-19 research programmes from its almost $3 billion endowments.

The Coca-Cola Foundation has been making substantial contributions to community relief programmes, medical supplies, and institutional support around the world. The company set aside part of its marketing budget for a $100 million fund that will go into grants, donations, and other support services globally. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent in more than 60 countries including Nigeria, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and other partners have all received grants and donations from Coca-Cola.

There are also awareness campaigns launched by the company, as well as entertainment deals to help people stay at home.

In a series of donor conferences, the European Commission has led an assembly of world leaders who have made elaborate financial contributions for joint research on the COVID-19 vaccine. It has organized various events for innovation and supports companies that are making progress in COVID-19 research. The Commission has so far donated over $70.5 million to the WHO Emergency Fund for COVID-19.

The vaccine alliance founded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been leading efforts and coordinating a global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization has been actively involved with providing research data, disease surveillance, managing support fund, and reallocating health systems to meet current health demands mainly in developing countries.

Gavi has been working with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other partner organizations to ensure that when COVID-19 vaccines are available, it will be distributed promptly around the world.

The world-renowned tech giant has been one of the most generous donors to the efforts against COVID-19. With a donation of over $800 million, Google has been supporting the WHO, governments, and NGOs around the world by funding several relief programmes. It has also dedicated its products and services for providing information and resources that support businesses, health organizations, and learning institutions.

In a swift response to the rising cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria, the Guaranty Trust Bank in March constructed a fully-equipped 110-bed isolation centre at Onikan, Lagos. As the epicentre of the pandemic in the country, the intervention helped the Lagos state government to accommodate the COVID-19 cases under its care.

The bank also partnered with other private sector players to set up a Coalition against COVID-19 (CACOVID), which aims at helping the government tackle COVID-19 across the country. Through its CEO Segun Agbaje, GTBank also donated N1 billion ($2.9 million) to the coalition.

With the rising cases of COVID-19 around the world, many countries went into lockdown as a precautionary measure against the pandemic. This move exposed their economies to high risks, and the IMF has been offering financial assistance to affected countries, including a $3.4 billion bailout loan to Nigeria.

The Fund has deployed its entire lending capacity of $1 trillion to facilitate swift response to the magnitude of financial needs among its member-countries

Aside from the WHO, the US-leading University for medical research has been providing the most updated information on the spread of Coronavirus through its Coronavirus Resource Centre. With about 260 scientists and researchers working on 25 projects, the University has provided many resources and data that have offered crucial insight into COVID-19 research.

Since the Coronavirus Outbreak became a global health concern, the medical device and pharmaceutical company has been actively engaged in combating the pandemic. The company through its pharmaceutical subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceutica partnered with the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) with $1 billion of investment to co-fund COVID-19 vaccine research, development, and clinical testing.

In addition to its partnership with BARDA, J&J has expanded its vaccine development efforts to other countries and is currently conducting research for a COVID-19 vaccine in its €72 million ($80.7 million) facility in Leiden, Netherlands.

With a donation of $125 million, MasterCard partnered with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Wellcome to speed up the research for the COVID-19 vaccine. It also strengthened its technology to make sure that it fulfills increasing user transaction requests as well as protect digital assets from fraud and overload.

The company has demonstrated its eagerness to assist COVID-19 response activities and has made support projects available for businesses and communities affected by the pandemic.

The biotech company, Moderna has been on intensive research to develop the COVID-19 vaccine. Its vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273 has successfully provided immunity against COVID-19 to all 45 candidates that participated in its initial human trial recently. The vaccine is rated to be the ‘COVID-19 vaccine’ and has received hundreds of millions of dollars in donations, including a sudden rise in the company’s stock.

Telecom giant, MTN has been at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19 in Africa. In Nigeria, the company has committed up to N35 billion ($90.3 million) in both funds and relief materials targeted at helping the government and its customers in the country to combat the effects of COVID-19. With a N1 billion ($2.5 million) donation to the Coalition against COVID-19 (CACOVID), the company is actively supporting COVID-19 efforts across the country.

MTN has been supporting its subscribers with 300 free monthly SMS and 100 MB daily data bonus to access important information on some select websites.

After halting its productions as a precautionary measure against the spread of COVID-19, the influential media and entertainment company paid out up to N400m ($1.03 million) as remuneration to professionals in the creative industry who were affected by the lockdown in Nigeria. This was after an initial donation of over N1 billion ($2.5 million) in cash and relief materials to support Nigeria’s fight against the pandemic.

Its contribution also includes 10,000 test kits and allotment for public service announcements on COVID-19 across its media assets.

Nigeria’s national public health institute responsible for leading the country’s preparedness, detection and response to COVID-19.

As a leading research University in the United Kingdom, Oxford University has been playing an active role in the research for the COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine developed by the University’s Jenner Institute contains the genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein which is expected to deliver a strong immune response that triggers the body to produce an antibody that will attack the novel coronavirus upon infection.

With the vaccine now in its phase II trial, the University has partnered with AstraZeneca to produce 400 million doses that will be made available by September

As one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies working to develop a vaccine for COVID-19, Pfizer has made significant progress in ensuring that there’s a cure for the disease before the end of the year. The company is one of the four finalists in the Operation Warp Speed, which was unveiled last month by the US government to speedily deliver safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines to the public in record time.

The first successful clinical trial of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was administered on a patient at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore in May.

The multinational consumer goods company behind essential products like Dettol has been consistently informing and helping the people deal with COVID-19 in Nigeria and across the world. Its disinfectant brand, Dettol partnered with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC to deliver public service announcements on the guidelines to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.

Dettol and JIK also partnered with UNAIDS to assist people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa with hygiene products worth over N800 million ($2.1 million). Dettol also teamed up with Lysol to create Covid-19facts.com, a platform that shares factual information about the pandemic

Before COVID-19, Sanofi already had an extensive pharmaceutical network that uses high tech and excellent research to produce healthcare solutions, drugs, and vaccines. Currently, the company has committed its infrastructure and experience to develop vaccines, alternative medicine and instant test kit for COVID-19.

Sanofi is also collaborating with many labs and pharmaceutical companies in joint research to speed up the process of finding a cure for Coronavirus. It has also released its previous vaccines to labs for trials to learn if any of them could be adopted in treating the virus.

United Bank for Africa (UBA) started its response to COVID-19 by announcing a N5 billion ($14 million) donation through the UBA Foundation to help support COVID-19 initiatives across Africa. It also made additional commitment to build and manage medical facilities, provide health supplies as well as maintain a telemedicine platform that will offer health services to the general public.

UBA is also part of CACOVID, a private sector-led coalition that aims at helping the government combat COVID-19.

Multinational mass media conglomerate and producer of premium entertainment content.

Since the Coronavirus outbreak began, the World Bank has been helping out everywhere – health, finance, social support and food security across the globe. Its numerous projects engage in emergency health support operations, accelerated loan guarantees to countries whose economies are most impacted by the pandemic.

And through a broad economic programme of up to $160 billion, the bank has helped many countries to provide for the poor and vulnerable, support businesses, and ensure economic stability in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The World Economic Forum has been at the forefront of mobilizing organizations, international communities, governments, and major stakeholders to take collective action against COVID-19. It has provided many economic data plans and has used its influence to create more than 35 multi-stakeholder projects to tackle the pandemic.

Some of its initiatives include the Pandemic Supply Chain Network (PSCN), Epidemic Big Data Resource and Analytics Innovation Network (EPI-BRAIN), COVID-19 Financial Services Response Network, Platform for Purpose, and Value in Media, among others.

As an agency of the United Nations whose primary responsibility is to coordinate international responses to health emergencies, set medical standards, and ensure availability and access to healthcare by all people, the WHO has been leading the fight against COVID-19 right from day one. Although the organization received some flak for its delayed response to the pandemic, it has since played a vital role in combating the pandemic.

Its personnel and partners have been engaged in res
earch, funding, provision of health workers and medical supplies, as well as relief through its 155 Field Offices around the world.

At the height of the global lockdown when people were forced to work from home, Zoom became the most reliable tool for communication globally. Leaders, organizations, stakeholders, schools, health agencies, and businesses could meet, discuss, and share insights on how to manage, collaborate, and find solutions to COVID-19 through virtual conferencing made possible by Zoom.

By keeping most of its services free, the company has been able to help many organizations and businesses stay afloat throughout the lockdown.

As the largest and most influential nation in the Pacific region, Australia has been leading the response against COVID-19 in the entire Pacific islands. In March, the country jointly funded WHO’s Pacific regional coronavirus response plan alongside New Zealand, which provided access to medical supplies for countries like Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa and Tuvalu.

The country also donated $4.186 million to the WHO Emergency Fund while researchers at a specialist lab in Melbourne, Australia, recreated the Coronavirus genome and released it freely for vaccine research.

Canada has provided its contribution to the fight against COVID-19 through many donations and the roles that its scientists have played so far in support of the global research on the COVID-19 vaccine. The country also participated in the donors’ conference organized by the European Commission, where it made an $850 million donation to fund rapid research on the vaccine for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although China has received a lot of criticism due to an initial lack of transparency and delay in reporting the Coronavirus outbreak in the country, it has been relentless in its efforts to combat the pandemic around the world. Scientists in the country were responsible for the swift sequencing of the Coronavirus genome which made the development of the COVID-19 vaccine feasible. The country has also donated $50.1 million to the WHO Emergency Fund for COVID-19 and has been providing resources, including health workers to countries that need help, while sharing important lessons in tackling the pandemic.

China is currently testing five experimental vaccines for COVID-19 which it hopes will provide the needed cure for the disease.

As an umbrella body for all European countries, the European Union has committed about $545 million to Coronavirus relief activities across the world. Through a partnership with the WHO and UNICEF, it has been able to deliver aid packages and financial assistance to African countries. It donated a €50 million ($56.6 million) grant to help Nigeria in the fight against COVID-19.

Aside from a local response to its COVID-19 cases which are currently nearing 190,000, France is among the European countries with the highest donation to help other countries around the world. As of April 23, the country had committed about $165 million to various relief programmes including priority aid to 19 African countries, Haiti, and the Middle East.

It also pledged $500 million in an online donors’ conference organized by the European Commission towards the research and development of a COVID-19 vaccine. France is currently overseeing 30 active scientific research on COVID-19, which is the highest in Europe so far.

Apart from its financial obligations to WHO, Germany has been offering aid to many countries including €5.5 million ($6.2 million) to Nigeria for combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Germany has also been responsible for providing some of the most reliable medical equipment, and testing methods for COVID-19, as well as accepting to receiving and caring for patients flown in from Italy and France. The country also pledged $525 million for the research and development of a COVID-19 vaccine in the online donors’ conference organized by the European Commission.

German scientists are some of those leading the research to find a cure for COVID-19, as one of the country’s biotechnology companies, BioNTech has already begun human trials for a possible COVID-19 vaccine.

With one of the most advanced and remarkable scientific community, Israel has been contributing immensely to the research for the COVID-19 vaccine. Researchers in the country have successfully produced an antibody that could yield treatment by neutralizing the Coronavirus upon infection. It also made a pledge of a $60 million donation at the international donors’ conference for a joint fight against COVID-19.

As one of the most affected countries in the world, some of the COVID-19 study samples and sequencing were carried out by Italy after China’s initial genome sequencing. The country has been able to curb the rapid spread of Coronavirus by introducing many isolation practices that have been adopted by other countries as well.

Italy is currently responsible for 23 active studies on COVID-19 which aims at understanding and finding a cure for the disease. The country has so far donated $454,000 to the WHO Emergency Fund for COVID-19.

After being shielded from a large-scale COVID-19 outbreak, Japan has been contributing to efforts to combat the pandemic around the world. The Japanese government has so far distributed Favipiravir, a drug made by Fujifilm, which proves effective in treating COVID-19, to 40 countries including the US where the drug is in phase 2 trial.

Japan donated nearly $139 million to various organizations including the $47 million to the WHO relief fund and has been involved in providing medical supplies, study data, collaborative research, and innovative studies to find a cure for COVID-19.

Madagascar is one of the first countries to offer alternative medical research that led to the production of the Covid-Organics (CVO) remedy. Although the WHO is yet to give a stamp of approval on the herbal remedy, the country’s president, Andry Rajoelina insists that it is effective in the treatment of COVID-19.

Despite the doubts about the efficacy of the remedy, Madagascar has been able to maintain one of the lowest COVID-19 rates in the world with just 488 cases, 138 recoveries, and only 2 deaths.

With a $7.34 million donation to the WHO and other organizations, Norway has been part of some relief projects aimed at helping countries around the world deal with the impact of COVID-19. This includes a $1.2 million support to Malawi and a NOK10 million ($1 million) support to the worldwide distribution of any vaccine developed against COVID-19.

In April, the country expanded its donation by announcing a NOK2.2 billion ($210 million) commitment to the Oslo-based Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Initiative (CEPI) for COVID-19 vaccine research. CEPI hopes to deliver a safe and effective vaccine within 12-18 months

With a vast landscape spread across seven time zones, Russia is one of the countries with the highest cases of COVID-19 around the world –nearly 450,000 cases and over 5,500 deaths as at the last count. In order to contain the spread of the virus, the country has invested in intensive vaccine research in seven centers and recently announced that they now have some indication of a viable COVID-19 vaccine.

Despite the high incidence of COVID-19 in the country, Russia has been offering medical assistance to some other hardest-hit countries like Italy where Kremlin sent 180 doctors, nurses, ventilators, and masks; 87 military medics were sent to Serbia; and a cargo of protective gears and ventilators were sent to the US, with the US department of state arguing that it was paid for. Russia has also offered to work with African countries.

Just as the Coronavirus outbreak was gaining momentum, Saudi Arabia quickly partnered with the WHO to respond to the pandemic by making a donation of $10 million to each country within the Eastern Mediterranean region and offering service support to the organization. The country presiding over G20 made another $500 million pledge to support regional and international organizations that are leading the solution for COVID-19. Two Saudi Arabian labs are also involved in research for the potential COVID-19 vaccine.

Senegal is another African country that took an early interest in finding a solution to the COVID-19 pandemic alongside Madagascar. The country, through its Pasteur Institute and Mologic, has been able to develop a $1 testing kit and a 3D-printed ventilator that costs only $60 compared with imported ones that cost as high as $16,000. The testing kit which is DIY and could produce results within 10 minutes through the use of saliva or blood is expected to be distributed to various African countries for adoption.

One of the first countries to make significant progress in containing the spread of Coronavirus, South Korea has been helping other countries grappling with the situation with a donation of over $5.8 million for relief material through the WHO and other organizations. The country is also one of the leading producers of testing kits with about 106 countries relying on Seoul for the procurement of essential medical supplies.

After facing a devastating COVID-19 onslaught, Spain has been able to stabilize the rate of the pandemic among its populace and is currently providing some major study on antibodies, herd immunity, and serology as anecdotes for developing COVID-19 vaccine. The country currently has 11 active research programmes on COVID-19.

On May 25, Sweden announced a SEK380 million ($39 million) donation to support the international response to the COVID-19, just as the country was seeing rising cases of the pandemic at home. The fund was geared towards humanitarian response and is to be utilized through various organizations including SEK 100 million ($10 million) for the World Food Program and SEK 50 million ($5 million) for the World Health Organization among others.

The country is currently collaborating with the European Union and the World Health Organization in a number of researches that are providing data for vaccine trials.

The Swiss government has been helping countries around the world deal with the impact of COVID-19. It has so far donated about $2 million to humanitarian organizations like the WHO, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Aside from the donations, researchers at the country’s University of Bern have successfully cloned the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) which now makes it possible for research groups worldwide to test coronavirus samples, find antiviral drugs and develop vaccines as quickly as possible.

As the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 continues, the UK has been playing a significant role in a global response to the pandemic. In March, the country committed £210 million ($266 million) in funding to international COVID-19 relief efforts. It also pledged £388 million ($491.4 million) for vaccine research, testing, and treatment in an online conference organized by the EU in May.

The UK is actively involved with the development of a COVID-19 vaccine and has commissioned researchers at Oxford University to develop a vaccine for the disease. The research team has made significant progress and have already started human trials for the vaccine since the end of April. With a recent partnership with AstraZeneca, the vaccine is expected to be ready for adoption by September.

Despite the initial misstep that unleashed a devastating incidence of COVID-19 on the US, the country has been at the forefront of the global effort to combat the spread of Coronavirus. The country is in a race to be the first to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. Through the Biomedical Advanced Research Development Agency (BARDA), the US has committed $483 million to Moderna and partnered with AstraZeneca in May with a contribution of $1.2 billion for the development, production, and delivery of its potential vaccine starting from September.

The US government has also made a commitment of $1 billion through the USAID to support countries battling with COVID-19, and had been one of the major financiers of the World Health Organisation until President Trump’s recent accusation of impropriety made him defund the organization.

Nevertheless, the US remains the central figure in finding the solution to COVID-19as the CDC and most of the companies, scientists, and labs that have made the greatest progress in research and production of equipment, trial drugs, and containment of the pandemic are all in the US.

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks have become one of the most essential items to shield people against an unhindered spread of the Coronavirus. COVID-19 is spread through the nose, the eyes, and the mouth when one comes in contact with respiratory droplets from an infected person when they sneeze, cough, or talk. Face masks keep these droplets from going out (most importantly) or coming in.

“Cloth face coverings are an additional step to help slow the spread of COVID-19 when combined with every day preventive actions and social distancing in public settings,” the WHO recommends

With the ability to render the Coronavirus inactive, hand sanitizers have proven to be vital in the fight against COVID-19. The Coronavirus remains active on surfaces including door handles for hours. By touching our face after touching these surfaces, we may transfer the virus into our body. But Sanitizers disinfect our hands by getting rid of the viruses, especially when we don’t have access to handwashing facilities.

Without the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), many health workers would have had no barriers to contacting COVID-19 from their patients. But the suit which prevents direct contact with an infected case has been responsible for protecting health workers, patients, and others from an unintended transmission of COVID-19. This wear ensures that health workers return home to their loved ones safely at the end of their duties.

Once COVID-19 test samples have gone through all chemical processes to remove unnecessary genetic materials; a PCR machine is used to probe or scan the sample for the presence of coronavirus.

Reagents refer to inorganic solutions or chemicals that are created to match the Coronavirus genome which extracts, amplifies, and detects or confirms the presence of the virus. Without reagents, it is impossible to get reliable COVID-19 test results. To put it simply: no reagents, no tests.

Similar to face masks, respirators provide impermeable protection to a wearer by stopping microparticles, gases, and liquid from entering a wearer’s mouth or nose. It is used heavily by lab scientists, researchers as well as other health workers handling a large number of COVID-19 cases.

One of the reasons why many people maintained an extent of sanity during the highpoint of the global COVID-19 lockdown was because they could engage and connect with others through social media. Many entertainers, organizations, individuals, and businesses used various social media platforms to reach a wider audience, and create awareness as well as offer relief throughout the toughest period of the pandemic.

Amidst the growing anxiety that occasioned the initial stage of the global COVID-19 lockdown, TikTok was able to offer a momentary escape from all the doom and gloom. With features that allow users to create fascinating video clips, the social video-sharing platform kept many people entertained during this period.

The app which now has over two billion downloads has teamed up with its developer, ByteDance to pledge $375 million, which includes $250 million to support front-line workers and local communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; $100 million in ad credits for businesses trying to rebuild; and $25 million in ad space for public health organizations.

In the absence of a definite cure for COVID-19, many countries used a few trial drugs like remdesivir, Lopinavir-ritonavir, and even chloroquine in treating the disease. While some mild COVID-19 patients can recover without extensive medical care, others depend on a combination of drugs used on a trial basis to fight each attendant symptom of the COVID-19. Without these drugs, the death rate across the world would have been far more devastating than it currently is

One of the most severe symptoms of COVID-19 is acute damage to the lungs, which causes breathing difficulty because of the reduced oxygen levels in the body. When a patient’s condition deteriorates to this stage, the only thing that can keep them alive is a ventilator. Having the ability to pump air into the lung and maintain adequate oxygen levels, ventilators have been one of the most critical tools helping COVID-19 patients beat the odds.