The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the African Business Coalition for Health (ABCHealth) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on initiatives to increase access to high-quality healthcare in Africa.
Dr. Erasmus Morah, the UNAIDS Country Director, and Dr. Mories Atoki, the CEO of ABCHealth, signed the MOU yesterday in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2022. It encompasses the areas of cooperation outlined in UNAIDS’ Global AIDS Strategy 2021-2026 and ABCHealth’s strategic priority of leveraging partnerships to drive sustainable development in Africa’s health space.
Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairman of the African Business Coalition for Health and Founder and Chairman of Coronation Capital Limited, commented on the partnership, stating, “Africa’s healthcare systems require significant investments to meet the needs of their growing populations, changing disease patterns, and internationally agreed on development goals.
Governments alone cannot shoulder the burden; the continent’s private sector must play a role, and actions must be coordinated to have a significant impact. Our business coalition will continue to foster strategic alliances like this to address the continent’s current health challenges.”
Dr. Morah stated, “I am pleased to sign this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the UNAIDS Country Office for Nigeria and ABCHealth to signify the expansion of the partnership between our two organizations. We both share the objective of playing a more significant role in Nigeria’s HIV and health sector response, accelerating equitable access to care, removing institutional barriers to social justice, and mobilizing stakeholders to more fully fund health.
I eagerly anticipate utilizing the opportunity presented by our new partnership to reduce inequalities that increase people’s vulnerability and place communities at the center of the HIV response, including other health challenges such as COVID-19.”
Zouera Youssoufou, CEO of the Aliko Dangote Foundation and ABCHealth Board Director, discussed the potential benefits of the partnership between ABCHealth and UNAIDS. She stated, “Since the coalition’s inception, we have been building it into a formidable force that can have a real impact by putting words into action. COVID-19 revealed that Africa’s health and healthcare industry must be reformed and developed and that Africa’s private sector must play a role.
However, leaving this responsibility solely to governments is unrealistic – ABCHealth provides a platform that corporations, businesses, philanthropies, and development institutions can rely on to support their commitment to transforming the continent’s health space.”
Dr. Atoki stated, “Africa’s health sector is about to undergo a significant shift due to the growing interest shown by key stakeholders in the private and public sectors to improve health outcomes and livelihoods. Therefore, we urge businesses that genuinely care about the health and prosperity of Africa to join our Coalition so that we can achieve the desired effect.”
- Tags: ABCHEALTH, Africa, African healthcare, UNAIDS
