Coronavirus: Alibaba founder Jack Ma pledges 1.8 million masks and aid to Asia

Jack Ma, Asia’s richest man, pledged 1.8 million face masks and 210,000 coronavirus test kits to some of the continent’s poorest nations, the latest step in an ongoing effort from his foundation to push back against what’s become a global pandemic.

Ma joined Twitter on Monday to announce that the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation were shipping a donation of emergency supplies to the U.S. Having previously aided virus-fighting efforts in Japan, Iran and Italy, the Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. co-founder’s philanthropic groups also expanded to send thousands of testing kits and masks to countries in Africa.

In his latest tweet, Ma said that Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, the Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka would all receive help that includes protective suits, ventilators and thermometers.

Global shortages of essential medical and protective equipment have affected even the most developed economies, with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo saying more “ventilators, ventilators, ventilators” were needed to help his state handle the anticipated number of infected people needing treatment.