Got Ideas How to Beat COVID-19 Pandemic? : African Development Bank and Partners to Host an Online #AfricaVsVirus Challenge from April 16 to 19

African Development Bank and partners are set to host an online #AfricaVsVirus Challenge from April 16 to 19.

The 72-hour competition is a global hackathon – or “ideathon” – to develop effective solutions to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Challenge is open to entrepreneurs, companies, civil society organisations and governments with bankable solutions or ventures to address the pandemic.

The top pitches would be eligible to win thousands of dollars’ worth of financial, technical and skills-learning support to advance their implementation. Details on competition qualifications and methods of participation could be found here: http://www.AfricaVsVirus.com. 

“COVID-19’s impact on the global economy is pushing millions of people, especially women and young people, into unemployment, underemployment and working poverty. Part of our response is the #AfricaVsVirus Challenge.

“This online Challenge will channel youth creativity and innovation to real life solutions that mitigate the impact of the Coronavirus on health, the economy, SMEs and jobs,” said the Coordinator of the African Development Bank’s Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy, Tapera Muzira.

The #AfricaVsVirus Challenge opens on April 16 at 6:30pm CET and runs non-stop through to April 19 at 6:30pm CET.

Entrants could choose to submit ideas under one of the following sectors: public health and epidemiology; vulnerable populations; businesses and economy; community; education; entertainment; government support; environment and energy; and food security. Alternatively, they may choose their own theme.

An expert panel would select the 20 best solutions submitted, and these finalists would be invited to take part in a one-month educational programme by Seedstars.

The top three winning ideas would receive up to $50,000 worth of in-kind prizes.

#AfricaVsVirus Challenge is part of the bank’s strategy to support young African entrepreneurs – especially young women entrepreneurs – and their SMEs and startups by providing an enabling environment to innovate appropriate solutions to the COVID-19 crisis.

The bank’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab, working closely with the Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi-Donor Trust Fund is hosting the ideathon, with partners Seedstars digital agency WAAT and development consultants Luvent Consulting.

Rollout of the Challenge follows the African Development Bank’s launch on April 8 of a $10 billion COVID-19 response facility, and the sale of a record $3 billion debt issue last month to raise financing to help African countries confront the pandemic, which is already wreaking havoc on their economies.

Interested parties could follow the global conversation about the competition by following #AfricaVsVirus on social media, or by logging on to http://www.AfricaVsVirus.com.