Vedanta distributes face masks in Zambia, raises public awareness about rising Omicron cases

Vedanta on Tuesday said it has distributed thousands of re-usable face masks to commuters and marketeers in Zambian cities of Chingola and Chililabombwe, and moved to raise public awareness about the rising cases of Omicron, the new variant of coronavirus.

“On Monday, Vedanta has distributed 4,000 masks to commuters and marketeers as a response to this concerning challenge. This is in addition to the over 10,000 masks distributed to the communities surrounding KCM in the past weeks, as Vedanta remains committed to helping Zambians in their battle against the pandemic, the company said in a statement.

With the new variant posing a significant threat to public health, Vedanta reaffirms its commitment to helping support the communities around the Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) in as best a way as it can.

Recently, in the copper belt, the district administration was appreciative of the CSR initiatives undertaken by the company in terms of COVID-19 care, providing sanitary napkins to schools and embarking on spraying the area to prevent malaria that is adjacent to 3,400 households near KCM.

“As a concerned corporate citizen, this act by Vedanta goes some way in cushioning the public from the adverse effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. I am encouraged by the extensive CSR initiatives that are already being undertaken in Chingola and throughout the surrounding communities,” Vedanta Country Director Moses Banda said.

Banda added that the most prominent issue our country is facing at present is COVID-19, and Vedanta is aiding the fight against the pandemic by providing sanitisers including facemasks in Chingola.