TRADE Kings Group, leading manufacturer of Fast Moving Consumer Goods through its foundation has today launched jointly with Ministry of Health and Ministry of Information a campaign against the spread of COVID 19 dubbed “Trade Kings Foundation Campaign against the spread of Coronavirus.”

Through the Trade Kings Foundation, the board of directors have taken full cognizance of the threat of the disease on the Zambian people and the economy. The current situation of the spread of the virus therefore necessitates a concerted effort in the fight against the spread of the disease.

To deliver the donation to the Minister, Group General Manager, Mr Lux Subramanium said ‘as part of the national efforts to jointly protect the nation, we have this morning made this pledge as a demonstration of our commitment to improving and maintaining the health of the Zambian people. We are aware of the efforts that the government is making in preventing the spread of the COVID 19.

Mr Lux elaborated the donation and pledge saying; defying all these odds, the Directors of the Trade Kings Foundation took upon them a solemn PLEDGE to bring solace and succour to the health of the Zambian populace in conjunction with the Ministry of Health covering 3 important aspects:

1. Prevention

2. Medical supplies

3. Spread the of awareness through media.

He further said, our proposed course of action in the areas of our pledge will include the following;

1. Prevention:

The first is to identify the maximum footfall locations and prevent the spread of the pandemic in these “hot spots”. The areas identified and the preventive measures to be taken are:

Employees-Charity begins at home! Trade Kings Group ensures that every employee is screened medically, daily and ensure that they are provided with the standard protective gear and hygiene products.

Bus Terminals- 5 bus stations have been identified in Lusaka city which has the maximum incidence of human traffic. Soap dispensing stations and handwashing units are being installed shortly. This initiative will be extended to other parts of the country as the need arises.

Markets- 10 markets, in Lusaka city, which bustle with humanity have been shortlisted. Soap dispensing stations and handwashing units are being installed shortly.

Prisons- 2 of the largest prisons, which has over 7000 inmates in total, would also be provided with necessary hygiene products to maintain hygiene standards.

COVID19 Quarantine Centres- Needless to state, these centres will also be provided with adequate supplies of hygiene products and dispensing units countrywide.

Hospitals and Pharmacies: 30 hospitals and pharmacies will also be geared with the Hygenix stand and Hygiene product range.

Front-line Medical Personnel- 1000 front line medical personnel will be provided on a monthly basis a “hygiene medical pack with Hygenix products and washing powder to ensure their safety and that of their respective families.

Shopping Malls-20 of the busiest shopping malls in Lusaka will also form a part of this list where the Hygenix stands will be placed.

Two other salient aspects that would need cognisance:

Based on the scale and availability of resources, the Foundation will widen its scope to cover Ndola and Livingstone Cities in time to come.

This campaign would run for a minimum of three months commencing in April 2020.

2. Medical Supplies:
The Foundation, in a bid to support the relevant local health authorities, will be also providing a wide array of medical products and medical equipment. To cite a few:

20 ventilators and advanced respiratory machines

25 000 (twenty five thousand) pieces of Personal Protective Equipment such as KN 95 masks, medical goggles, Face shields and sterile medical gowns

25 000 (twenty five thousand) Nasopharyngeal swabs for specimen collection that would enable efficient testing.

Large quantities of infusion pumps, syringe pumps, high pressure type medical oxygen regulators, medical oxygen flow meters, oxygen probes Non – rebreathing masks, Nasal cannulas, water chamber exchange connectors, R filters, Oropharyngeal airways, video laryngoscopes among other medical accessories that are very vital in operation respiratory machines and to conduct other medical procedures.

Supply of assorted medication and prescribed medicines to 10000 (ten thousand) Covid 19 patients.

Universal Mining and Chemical industries Ltd, a Trade Kings Group company will supply 100-500 oxygen cylinders on a daily basis to earmarked Covid 19 centers.

3. Awareness – Media:

Multi-lingual programs and advertisements educating the masses and creating awareness on Covid 19 will be propagated through various forms of media in conjunction with Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which would include:

8 television stations

40 radio channels

Various social media platforms

Several outdoor hoardings

Posters, banners and other advertisement media

Trade Kings Foundation has pledged 28 MILLION KWACHA towards this endeavour and will strongly support the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, until this calamity drifts into obscurity.
This integrated approach to the campaign, and working hand in hand with the people of Zambia, gives the Foundation confidence that the spread can be prevented, contained and managed.
Mr Lux in his speech during the pledge also mentioned that despite border closures, spiralling transportation costs of raw material and other economic setbacks that have come with the Corona Virus, the Trade Kings Group have ensured non-stop production of hygiene products that are essential in the prevention against Covid 19 such as hand sanitisers, antiseptic liquid, medicated soaps. This was so that the health and welfare of the Zambian people was not compromised.
Mr. Lux concluded by saying “ as Trade Kings Group, our passion is beyond merely providing innovative products to our customers; instead we envision, through The Trade Kings Foundation, to be an ardent loyal partner, in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) frontier, with the Government. This would imply, playing an active role of ploughing back into the communities and uplifting the lives of people.”