Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede team up to improve healthcare in Africa
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and African Business Coalition for Health (ABCHealth) have signed a partnership to develop two initiatives that will focus on healthcare and growing the healthcare economy on the continent.
ABCHealth is a Lagos-based non-profit advocacy organization founded by the Aliko Dangote Foundation and the Global Business Coalition for Health.
The African-led coalition of business leaders and companies seeks to improve the health and well-being of people across the African continent.
The initiatives include the Healthcare and Economic Growth in Africa (HEGA-2) report and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)-anchored Pharma Initiative.
In a statement, ABCHealth Co-Founder Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede said: “We are confident of the impact this partnership will bring to bear on the continent. It is our firm belief that with the public and private sectors working together, combining political will with business knowledge, Africa’s health sector can be built to the point where it will deliver affordable health to Africans in an equitable manner.”
The HEGA-2 report is a buildup-up to the HEGA-1 report of 2019. The earlier report analyzed a strategic direction for African countries to better engage with private players to accelerate growth in the sector.
The HEGA-1 report launched in February 2019 on the sidelines of the 32nd African Union Heads of State and Government Summit in Addis Ababa. It focused on digital health in Africa, innovative financing techniques for bridging the health financing gap, and offered insight into the opportunities for public-private partnerships in African healthcare.
The HEGA-2 plans to further leverage innovation and extend the focus on building resilient national health systems in the post-COVID-19 era in Africa. The publication will offer robust evidence-based policy solutions to strengthen and develop resilient healthcare and health infrastructure on the continent.
“With the coalition that ABCHealth is building across the continent, responsible business leaders and philanthropists will have a platform that enables them to make sustainable, large scale investments in health that transform African economies and people,” Dangote.
The AfCFTA-anchored Pharma Initiative is the blueprint for deploying local drugs and medical equipment production in West Africa. It focuses on strengthening the supply arm of West Africa’s health sector by mobilizing investment and capital to develop domestic production that meets internationally accepted standards.
Aliko Dangote is Africa’s wealthiest man. He implements philanthropic projects in Africa primarily through his Aliko Dangote Foundation.