Novacyt donates 1 million COVID-19 tests to UNICEF

Novacyt S.A.

("Novacyt", the "Company" or the "Group")

Novacyt to support UNICEF with donation of one million COVID-19 tests

Donation supports testing efforts to help ensure continued access to essential services for children and their families

Paris, France and Camberley, UK - 4 May 2021 - Novacyt S.A. (EURONEXT GROWTH: ALNOV; AIM: NCYT; "Novacyt"), an international clinical diagnostics company, will donate one million COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to UNICEF to help contain the spread of the virus through testing.  

All over the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives of children and their families. During this time, UNICEF has provided support to the most vulnerable children, working to safeguard their access to education, nutrition and essential health services. At the same time, UNICEF acts as a key partner and lead procurer for the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A), a global collaboration to speed up the development, production and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines. 

By supporting ACT-A, UNICEF aims to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic, potentially save the lives of frontline workers and high-risk populations, make health systems more resilient and ultimately, help ensure that children in low- and middle-income countries survive and thrive.

As the world accelerates vaccination efforts against COVID-19, testing remains an important part of global efforts to contain the virus. Novacyt's donation will help UNICEF work with governments to fill gaps in COVID-19 testing capacities. This, in turn, will help to ensure children and their families continue to have access to essential services and care.

Novacyt will send the test kits to countries where there is both the need and infrastructure to perform PCR testing. The first four countries whose Ministries of Health have expressed interest and capacity to receive the test kits are Nigeria, Palestine, Maldives, and South Sudan.

"We are proud to support UNICEF and the incredible initiatives it has in place to protect children around the world during the pandemic. There remains a need to contain the spread of COVID-19, not just in high-income countries but on a global scale. Novacyt is committed to playing our part in fighting the pandemic by delivering reliable testing for the virus where it is most needed. We are delighted to be working with UNICEF to support low- and middle-income countries in their response to COVID-19, which will in turn enable access to vital services for children affected by one of the largest ever humanitarian crises. Finally, I am proud of the Novacyt team, as without their dedication and focus the Company would not be in the position it is today, allowing us to support global organisations like UNICEF."

"We are grateful for the contribution Novacyt is providing to UNICEF's role in COVID-19 testing. Our efforts to fight the pandemic won't stop until every child and every family is safe and in good health. Through ACT-A and the COVAX Facility, UNICEF, along with partners, is on a historic mission to vaccinate the world. We invite other partners to join us and support us in this race to end COVID-19. Because no one is safe until everyone is safe."

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Novacyt contact details:

Novacyt SA

Graham Mullis, Chief Executive Officer

James McCarthy, Chief Financial Officer

+44 (0)1276 600081

SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP (Nominated Adviser and Broker)

Matthew Johnson / Charlie Bouverat (Corporate Finance)

Vadim Alexandre / Rob Rees (Corporate Broking)

+44 (0)20 3470 0470

Numis Securities Limited (Joint Broker)

Freddie Barnfield / James Black

+44 (0)20 7260 1000

FTI Consulting (International)

Victoria Foster Mitchell / Alex Shaw / George Kendrick

+44 (0)20 3727 1000

[email protected] / [email protected] / [email protected] 

FTI Consulting (France)

Arnaud de Cheffontaines

+33 (0)147 03 69 48

[email protected]

UNICEF contact details:

Press contact:

Lorena Takahashi

+33 1 44 39 77 98

[email protected] 

Partnership contact:

Anne-Sophie Douillet

+33 1 73 01 17 21

a[email protected] 

About Novacyt Group

The Novacyt Group is an international diagnostics business generating an increasing portfolio of in vitro and molecular diagnostic tests.  Its core strengths lie in diagnostics product development, commercialisation, contract design and manufacturing. The Company's lead business units comprise of Primerdesign and Lab21 Products, supplying an extensive range of high-quality assays and reagents worldwide. The Group directly serves microbiology, haematology and serology markets as do its global partners, which include major corporates.

For more information, please refer to the website: www.novacyt.com

About UNICEF

UNICEF promotes every child's rights and wellbeing. UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories with its partners to complete its mission, ensuring to reach the most vulnerable children, wherever they are. For more information about UNICEF and its work: www.unicef.fr 

UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.