Access Bank Plc
Obviously, Access Bank Plc is not a health institution, yet its constant intervention in health discourse through effective partnerships and corporate social responsibility has been of keen interest to observers in recent times, writes James Emejo
Nigeria’s notorious health record is no longer news. For decades now, its basic health care system had been in disarray as hospitals and clinics often lacked the competence and medication to treat even common diseases - such as malaria - and getting the right diagnosis for ailments has been a constant challenge-partly for lack of equipment and expertise and hundreds are victims of improper diagnosis which experts argue could be more dangerous than the disease.
The World Bank estimates that about $4.5 billion is required to make quality health services accessible to Nigeria.
The World Bank estimates that about $4.5 billion is required to make quality health services accessible to Nigeria.
In a report by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) titled: “Health in Africa Initiative: Private Health Market Studies, Nigeria”, it estimated the bankable financing need for Primary Health Institutions (PHIs) alone at $1.5 billion.
Malaria, which is a disease often associated with poor sanitary conditions has been a huge concern in Nigeria as well as Sub Saharan Africa as it is estimated that 627,000 malaria deaths occurred globally in 2012 - 90 per cent of these deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa.
The annual financial cost of malaria in Nigeria is estimated at about N132 billion in form of treatment costs, prevention and loss of man-hours, according to the Federal Ministry of Health.
Although recent interventions in increased comprehensive prevention efforts was said to have saved about 3.3 million lives from the cold hands of malaria, its threats are ever-increasing particularly in Nigeria.
Coordinator of the National Malaria Control, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Nnenna Ezeigwe, recently said the country needed about $700 million (about N112 billion) within the next three years to eradicate malaria.
Economically, malaria scourge is said to have retarded economic development by constituting a huge epidemiologic burden in the country, according to government sources.
Economically, malaria scourge is said to have retarded economic development by constituting a huge epidemiologic burden in the country, according to government sources.
The disease is allegedly responsible for 60 per cent outpatient visits to health facilities, 30 per cent childhood death while 25 per cent of death in children under one year and 11 per cent maternal death are attributed to it.
Experts said public funds alone could not fix the health issue except there are effective partnerships with the private sector.
However, Access Bank had been a leading light in efforts at salvaging the Nigerian health sector in recent times and the institution’s health policy had been justified.
It has particularly shown tremendous commitment to supporting the fight against malaria and other scourges that plague Nigerians and Africans at large by demonstrating its willingness in partnering non-governmental organisations and private institutions to advance its corporate social responsibilities.
It has particularly shown tremendous commitment to supporting the fight against malaria and other scourges that plague Nigerians and Africans at large by demonstrating its willingness in partnering non-governmental organisations and private institutions to advance its corporate social responsibilities.
Speaking about one of its major sponsorship contributions to the 2014 GBCHealth/CAMA Annual Technical Forum themed:”Capitalising on Competences: Partnering to Eliminate Malaria and Accelerate Impact on Maternal and Child Health”, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive of the bank, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, justified the need for big corporations to lend a helping hand in the fight against the disease in the society.
According to him:”The fight against malaria is one that all should embrace, because an healthy society is beneficial to all. The decision to partner GBCHealth on this issue was not a difficult one. The bank is very passionate about its corporate social responsibility. Thus we cannot close our doors to offers that aims to uplift the wellbeing of our host communities and Nigeria at large.
The bank had recently led massive efforts at attracting the needed financing from international partners towards fixing the system, spear-heading an initial campaign “gift from Africa” in 2010 “ where it led several private sector institutions, including Dangote, to raise about $5 million to support the fight against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.
The bank had recently led massive efforts at attracting the needed financing from international partners towards fixing the system, spear-heading an initial campaign “gift from Africa” in 2010 “ where it led several private sector institutions, including Dangote, to raise about $5 million to support the fight against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.
Wigwe said:”Health financing in itself is critical to solving it from the private sector but also government support is also critical but there are other things that are just as critical to ensure we fight this issue of disease and health and all of that which is around partnerships and the mode of implementation in terms of this crusade to make Africa a much better place.”
The Access Bank boss also noted that all banking and investment efforts would actually be meaningless if the health of the people to whom products and services were being targeted at is in danger, stressing it is the responsibility of the banking industry to help restore the health system.
Also, Head, Development Banking, Access Bank, Mr. Oluwatoyin Idowu said:”We believe in strong corporate social responsibility (CSR) and being one of the leading banks in the country we believe that we need to give back to the community and this is one of the things that we have been doing under our CSR. We have done a couple of things in the past and we will continue to do it. We partner with them (GBC Health) to ensure that the subject of discourse, which is eradication of malaria and maternal and child mortality is addressed.
“As you know, health is wealth. So we believe that this is an area that you really have to focus on when you solve these issues you make the world a better place.”
“As you know, health is wealth. So we believe that this is an area that you really have to focus on when you solve these issues you make the world a better place.”
Idowu said the bank accords privilege to the health care sector “because we believe that a healthy society will help create more wealth and enhance the development of the nation.”
Also in furtherance of it commitment to the health sector, it recently partnered Friends Africa, a pan-African non-governmental organisation working to mobilise strategic political and financial support for the fight against AIDS/AIDS on the 2nd edition of the World AIDS Day tagged “Superstars Play for Life” where a novelty football match was designed to create awareness about the scourge in Lagos.
According to Idowu:”Basically, we engage in partnerships because we believe so much in the subject of discourse-malaria and in terms of financing, we partner with them because we believe that this will scale up the line of discussion, so that at the end of the day various participants at this forum will be able to go home with something.
“The subject of discourse is just one area of health. We also support initiatives for TBs, HIV, and other sectors. As a bank we partner with the private sector in terms of giving out loans for them to do their businesses and if you look at it, most of these health issues are not always on a commercial scale most time, that is, not for commercial viability, it is what we call social investment.
“So as a bank, we finance this kind of programmes because we believe that at any point in time there will always be people to come out and discuss issues of relevance and when the issue of finance come on board and when the issue of finance comes up we partner with various organisations to give loans at reduced rate.
“We’ve been doing it and we will continue to do it. Before the year runs out we are going to have a forum where we will be discussing new funding models in global funds, how we can accelerate the reduction of malaria and other health related issues.”
He added: “As you know, health is wealth. So we believe that this is an area that you really have to focus on when you solve these issues you make the world a better place. In access Bank we give so much privileges to the health care sector because we believe that a healthy society will help create more wealth and enhance the development of the nation.
SOURCE: THISDAY
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