The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) have launched an online platform facilitating learning and knowledge sharing between medical teams from the IsDB's African member countries. The platform was launched in coordination with their partner, the Moroccan Society of Anaesthesia, Analgesia and Resuscitation (SMAAR) The initiative is part of their coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis response to strengthen the capacities of member countries to withstand the socio-economic impact of the pandemic, a IsDB statement said on Tuesday. It also aims to build medical staff response protocol capabilities against the coronavirus in African countries. The initiative comes under the Reverse Linkage Mechanism and the Arab Africa Trade Bridges (AATB) Programme. It was rolled out via the first of two webinars focusing on pandemic preparedness and response, whilst taking advantage of international expertise in this field. Webinars have been designed to encourage dialogue and scenario mapping to identify key challenges that participating countries face. They have also been created to outline best practice approaches for successfully integrating response strategies in their respective countries. The initiative will facilitate engagement between decision makers and practitioners in the participating countries and pave the way for increased global collaboration, the statement said. "COVID-19 has dramatically affected our lives and has forced us to embrace the new norm. We need to consider other parameters that are more focused on preserving the environment and social well-being," Nazeem Noordali, Chief Operating Officer at ITFC said.
