Newmont Ghana has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR) to support the nation’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the MoU, Newmont Ghana will procure PCR equipment, ancillary equipment, reagents and other consumables to augment the capacity of KCCR to scale up its testing.

Also, KCCR will help set up two laboratories in Newmont’s Ahafo and Akyem host communities to build their testing capacity for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

The total value of procuring the PCR machines, ancillary equipment, reagents and setting up of the laboratories is GH¢3.1 million (US$545,000), Newmont Ghana said in a statement.

KCCR is one of the two major testing centres in the country and the increasing number of cases in the country has put a significant strain on the facility.

The Director of KCCR, Prof Richard Phillips expressed gratitude to Newmont Ghana, saying “this will significantly boost our capacity to test more samples. With the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country, this support could not have come at a better time.”

The Vice-President, Sustainability and External Relations at Newmont Ghana, Adiki Ayitevie, said, “Protecting the health and safety of our communities and workforce is our priority. We believe that procuring PCR machines and setting up laboratories for public health facilities in our host communities will help significantly in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The MoU is part of the miner’s initiatives sponsored from its Africa Region’s allocation of US$3.3 million of the Global Community Support Fund set up by the company to support COVID-19 management efforts in its operating jurisdictions.

So far, Newmont Ghana has approved over $2 million (GHS11 million) to be spent on employee and community health, food security and local economic resilience initiatives within and beyond its host communities.

Among the beneficiary institutions are the Birim North Health Service, Birim North District Assembly, Birim Central District Assembly, Asutifi North District Assembly Asutifi North Health Service, Asutifi North District Police Service, Tano North Municipal Assembly and the Tano North Health Service.

In April, Newmont Ghana donated US$50,000 to help procure test kits for the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the KCCR.

The company also contributed about $554,000 (approximately GH¢3 million) of the Ghana Chamber of Mines US$2 million (GHS11 million) donation to support the national COVID-19 management effort.

Newmont Africa is a subsidiary of Newmont Corporation, the world’s leading gold business. It has two gold mining operations in Ghana: The Ahafo Mine located in the Ahafo Region and the Akyem Mine located in the Eastern Region.

Commercial production at Ahafo began in 2006 and at Akyem in 2013.

The Company currently employs over 5,500 employees and contractors.

Its Ahafo mine was named Mining Company of the Year in 2016 and Ghana’s Corporate Social Responsibility OrganiSation for 2018, while the Akyem mine was adjudged the Best Company in Ghana for 2015 and 2016.

The Company also has greenfield exploration activities in Ethiopia.