ABCHealth, UNAIDS sign MoU to improve access to health across Africa

BY CHARLES ABUEDE

The African Business Coalition for Health (ABCHealth), has entered into a strategic partnership with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to partner on joint initiatives that will improve access to quality healthcare across Africa.

The partnership will develop and deploy impactful health programmes across Africa, deepen knowledge, build evidence for future investments and strengthen coordination among African business leaders, companies, philanthropists and global business networks for coordinated action on health.

UNAIDS leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.

The signing event, which had Erasmus Morah, UNAIDS country director and Mories Atoki, ABCHealth chief executive officer, put pen to paper, took place in Lagos.

The initiative centres on the areas of cooperation which capture UNAIDS’ strategic priorities as articulated in its Global AIDS Strategy 2021-2026, as well as ABCHealth’s strategic priority of leveraging partnerships to drive sustainable development in Africa’s health space.

Mories Atoki, remarking at the launch, said; “Africa’s health sector is about to experience a significant shift due to the increasing interest that critical stakeholders in both the private and public sectors are showing to enhance health outcomes and improve livelihoods. We, therefore, urge businesses who truly believe in the health and wealth of Africa to join our Coalition so that we can achieve the desired impact.”

Also, Erasmus Morah, in his statements at the signing, said; “I am delighted to sign this MoU between the UNAIDS Country Office for Nigeria and ABCHealth, to signify the growing partnership between our two organisations. We both share the common goal of playing a more enhanced role in Nigeria’s HIV and health sector response, accelerating equitable access to care, addressing institutional barriers to social justice and mobilising stakeholders in more fully resources for health. I eagerly look forward to using the opportunity of our new relationship to reduce inequalities that increase people’s vulnerability and put communities at the centre of the response to HIV, including other health challenges such as COVID-19.”

Meanwhile, Zouera Youssoufou, chief executive officer of Aliko Dangote Foundation and board director of ABCHealth, in her comments, spoke about the potential benefits of the partnership between ABCHealth and UNAIDS.

“Since inception, we have been building the coalition into a powerful force that can make a real impact by translating words into action. Africa’s health and healthcare industry need to be reformed and developed and Africa’s private sector must play its part; COVID-19 revealed this much. However, leaving this responsibility to governments alone is not realistic –– ABCHealth provides a platform that responsible corporates, businesses, philanthropists, and development institutions can trust to support their commitment to transforming the continent’s health space,” Youssoufou said.