Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, and the African Union today announced a major new partnership aimed to strengthen healthcare infrastructures and access to care in African Union Member States by improving access to medical equipment. Via the Africa Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP), Philips and the African Union will help provide a range of medical equipment, including state-of-the-art ventilators, patient-monitoring equipment, point-of-care ultrasound scanners, oxygen concentrators, and mobile digital radiography systems, in response to the immediate needs of healthcare facilities and COVID-19 patients.
“We are seeing second, and third waves of COVID-19 hit regions across the globe, so we cannot be complacent,” said African Union Special Envoy Strive Masiyiwa. “There is still a huge shortage of ventilators across the African continent and that is why this collaboration with Philips is critical to help us overcome the financial and technological constraints of our existing healthcare systems.”
In addition to sourcing additional equipment via the AMSP platform, public-sector country and government hospitals and private hospital chains will be able, before 31 March 2021, to trade their outdated ventilators in for a next-generation Philips hospital ventilator at favorable conditions. Wherever possible, outdated ventilators will be sustainably disposed of or refurbished as part of Philips' EcoDesign initiative.
