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Mondi, a leading global packaging and paper group, has donated 100,000 FFP3/ N95 medical grade masks to protect frontline healthcare workers in KwaZulu Natal from Covid-19.

These higher grade medical masks, which are much sought after, have been donated with the assistance of The Solidarity Fund to the KwaZulu Natal Department of Health on Monday 15 June. This donation is at a cost of just under R10 million and the result of a truly collaborative effort across the global Mondi network.

“As MEC of Health in Kwa-Zulu Natal, I am deeply appreciative of Mondi’s contribution.  The FFP3/N95 respiratory masks are in high demand because they are designed to protect medical staff when caring for patients known or suspected to be infected with a newly identified infectious respiratory virus. The masks will be distributed to public hospitals across the province over the coming weeks,” said KZN Health MEC Ms Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu.

“Mondi is committed to playing our part in the supply of essential products during the Covid-19 outbreak in South Africa.  We hope that this donation will help provide much needed protective face masks to health authorities in KwaZulu Natal. We want to help protect healthcare workers and curb the spread of the virus among vulnerable communities,” said Viv McMenamin, CEO Mondi South Africa.

“The contribution of companies like Mondi help The Solidarity Fund to augment our country's response to prepare the health system to fight the pandemic and ensure critical equipment and emergency supplies are available where they are needed most. Partnerships like this also demonstrate the importance of unity in our actions and the impact that this can have" said Nomkhita Nqweni, Interim CEO of The Solidarity Fund.

“The FFP3/N95 respiratory masks are critical Personal Protective Equipment to protect doctors and nurses in our hospitals.  These masks will support us in our efforts to ensure that we address any gaps in demand over the coming months,” said, Premier of KwaZulu Natal, Sihle Zikalala.

“The KZN Growth Coalition fully embraces partnerships that address urgent and pressing matters in health and that strengthen the relationship between communities, business and provincial government.  It is initiatives such as these that contribute to the wellbeing of a shared and inclusive economy in KwaZulu Natal,” said Moses Tembe, co-chair of the KwaZulu Natal Growth Coalition.

This donation is one of many ways that Mondi has been supporting its employees, customers, suppliers and communities in and around its operations in KwaZulu Natal.

Other initiatives include:

Through Mondi Zimele, (the small business development arm of Mondi South Africa) the business offered further assistance to small business suppliers.

Rolling out its Masidle (let’s eat) programme, in collaboration with Mondi employees, the Gift of the Givers and other partners, to deliver food parcels to the most vulnerable households in local communities. To date, close to 1,500 families have been fed for a full month.

40 additional Jojo tanks installed in rural communities in the region and over half a million litres of water supplied to these communities during the lockdown.

14 mobile health clinics and 48 other health facilities received medical supplies and equipment including medical masks and gloves, sanitisers and digital thermometers.  Mondi funds nine of these mobile clinics. They have been operating in rural Kwa Zulu Natal and Mpumalanga provinces for several years as part of a partnership with the Provincial Departments of Health and other stakeholders.

Through Mondi’s partnership with Ligbron, rural high school, maths and science students were able to download and take their study material home for free through the partnership enabled online eLearning platform.

Issued by Mondi