Yemisi Izuora
As part of its partnership with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Ecobank Foundation is deploying US$ 750,000 to the Ministry of Health in Mozambique to help combat malaria in the country. The financial contribution will support a net distribution campaign, while also providing life-saving testing and treatments.
“Mozambique has made great progress in the fight against malaria,” says Julie Essiam, CEO of the Ecobank Foundation. “With this financial contribution, we are supporting the Government in its determination to become a malaria-free country. We are a step closer to improving the quality of lives of children, families and whole communities.”
When it renewed its three-year partnership with the Global Fund in December 2016, the Ecobank Foundation committed a contribution of US$ 750,000 for the fight against malaria in an African country. These funds were multiplied through DFID’s (the UK Government’s Department for International Development) matching scheme, which pledges US$2 for every US$1 committed by a private donor. Hence, through this public private partnership brokered by the Global Fund, Ecobank Foundation’s contribution amounts to US$2.25 million for the government-led programme in Mozambique.
The Ecobank Foundation’s cash contribution forms only part of its collaboration with the Global Fund. One of the main objectives of the partnership is to strengthen the financial management capacity of the Global Fund’s grant recipients in Africa. In 2017, implementing partners in Liberia and Chad have been trained to improve their treasury and cash management capabilities. Mozambique will be one of the countries where the capacity building programme will be rolled out this year.
“The Ecobank Foundation shares our mission of building healthier and prosperous communities,” says Christoph Benn, Director of External Relations at the Global Fund. “Ecobank’s commitment to strengthening the financial expertise of our partners will help increase our response to the diseases in an effective manner. Through innovative public private partnerships, we can make long-lasting impact in the communities we serve.”
Together with other key private sector partners of the Global Fund, the Ecobank Foundation is taking part in a high-level mission to Mozambique this week. The goal is to witness first-hand the progress that the country is making in the fight against malaria with support from private sector’s stakeholders to the Ministry of Health. The trip will provide opportunities for the private sector partners to explore closer collaboration to further increase the impact of their interventions, both in Mozambique and across the continent.