Aig-Imoukhuede, Dangote co-founded ABCHealth leads malaria alliance, CAMA

• Access Bank, Chevron, ExxonMobil, ADF on CAMA’s council 

Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede

Aliko Dangote

The African Business Coalition for Health (ABCHealth), a pan-African private-sector driven organisation co-founded by two of Nigeria’s global business leaders, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede and Aliko Dangote, is now to lead-manage the global initiative against malaria in Africa known as the Corporate Alliance on Malaria in Africa (CAMA), it has emerged.

CAMA, once led-managed in New York, the United States by Global Business Coalition for Health (GBCHealth), has seen its organisational secretariat turned over to ABCHealth, which a statement issued over the weekend by the latter described as marking “a pivotal moment in our journey towards enhancing health systems across the continent.”

Business a.m. learnt that domiciling CAMA’s operational and organisational management in Africa was only a natural progression in a transitional arrangement that GBCHealth always had in place to bring it to the home continent where the issues being addressed are located.

“This appointment is a key milestone in GBCHealth’s plan to transition its work to being fully African led. Placing the leadership and management of CAMA within ABCHealth is a testament to its Theory of Change in Cultivating Partnerships and Mobilising Private Sector resources to improve healthcare in Africa and change the way it works,” ABCHealth said.

CAMA was set up to mobilise the private sector to drive impactful partnerships for malaria control and elimination in workplaces and communities, creating opportunities for the private sector to engage with peers and with leaders from governments, NGOs, academia, and other sectors to scale impact in the fight against malaria, according to an explanatory note seen by Business a.m.

ABCHealth further stated that in taking over the Secretariat for CAMA, it will be building on the successes achieved over the past 17 years, “providing value to its members in relevance and scaled impact in the fight against malaria.”

Co-founded by lawyer-banker and financial services sector leader, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, chairman of Access Holdings Plc and Coronation Group, and consummate industrialist and Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, president and chief executive officer of Dangote Industries Limited, ABCHealth was set up to work closely with Africa’s private sector leaders as well as global organisations to help improve the health and well-being of all Africans.

ABCHealth said in its statement that the new charge to lead CAMA and its esteemed member organisations, as well as the wider malaria ecosystem, to collaboratively control and eventually eliminate malaria across the continent, is a responsibility it was proud to take on.

Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, who is also the founder and chairman of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation also chairs ABCHealth, amongst other philanthropic roles, speaking on the development said: “The current challenges facing Africa’s healthcare and its disproportionate disease burden reinforces the strong business case for private sector engagement in health. The transition of CAMA to ABCHealth is a further opportunity for partners in both public and private sectors to collaborate towards improved health outcomes across Africa.”

Also commenting, Zouera Youssoufou, the chief executive officer of Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) and board director of ABCHealth expressed her delight about the move.

“Our principal and ABCHealth co-founder, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who is also the chair of the End Malaria Council in Nigeria, looks forward to seeing a scaling up of the impact of CAMA in Africa now that the organisation will be fully led by Africans.”

Mories Atoki, chief executive officer, ABCHealth, speaking on the new challenge, said: “Our Coalition is fully committed to moving CAMA further. We recognise the impact of members’ activities, and look forward to working with all of them as well as with new members in the coming year and beyond. We recognise the unwavering support of CAMA’s Leadership Council (Access Bank, Chevron, Aliko Dangote Foundation, and ExxonMobil) during this transition and their continued commitment to the Alliance’s goal of a Malaria-free Africa.”

Lesley-Anne Long, erstwhile president and chief executive officer of GBCHealth, said: “CAMA has been one of GBCHealth’s flagship programmes for more than 15 years and we are delighted that its impactful work will continue through ABCHealth”.

ABCHealth is a coalition of businesses, philanthropists and development institutions that collectively seek greater private sector contribution towards Africa’s health needs at national, regional and continental levels. It facilitates the development and deployment of impactful health programmes across Africa, deepening knowledge, building evidence for future investments and strengthening coordination among African business leaders, companies, philanthropists and global business networks for concerted action on health.

GBCHealth served as a hub for business engagement on the world’s most pressing health challenges for over 25 years, inspiring businesses to leverage their power and resources to drive progress in the areas of greatest need. Beginning with a focus on HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria, GBCHealth went on to work with partners in West Africa on sexual and reproductive health rights and maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health. More recently, GBCHealth worked with entrepreneurs and investors to drive health innovation, as well as help convene multi-stakeholder partnership to raise awareness of and address antimicrobial resistance.