In Africa, our priority should be keeping people safe and getting the private sector back on its feet so we can get people back to work. The good news is that Africa’s private sector has been quite resilient. Many have changed their production facilities to produce hand sanitizer and PPE equipment, and have been able to pivot in these times of crisis. Most importantly, and the thing I’m most optimistic about, is the innovation we’re seeing. For example, a laboratory in Senegal is making testing accessible by producing one-dollar test kits that can give you results in 65 minutes. And the innovation we’re seeing in the technological space from Africa’s youth is amazing and refreshing and is key to recovering our global health and economies. Join us in a coordinated global response to #COVID19. Demand action at @ONE #passthemic #oneworld

Thank you, Tom, I’m so glad to be here. Like Tom mentioned, my name is Dr. Vera Songwe @songwevera and I’m the United Nations Under Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Today I want to talk about the economic impact of a coordinated global response to #COVID19. A united global response is the key to a faster recovery and unlocks the potential for more equitable growth. Tens of millions of people around the world have already lost their jobs, and we need to keep that number from growing. If we don’t come together as one, we will have a “limping recovery” where some countries take off and the rest are left struggling. We’re all interconnected, so having one country lifting off and another lagging behind is not going to help any of us. To join us in fighting for a coordinated global response to COVID-19, demand action at @ONE #passthemic #oneworld