30 Mars 2023
LIBREVILLE, March 30 (Infosplusgabon) – As part of a partnership with the Togolese Ministry of Health and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Ecobank will grant USD 500,000 for the construction of a hemodialysis at the University Hospital Center (CHU) of Kara, to treat kidney disease, reports a press release sent Wednesday to the editorial staff of Infosplusgabon.
This decision comes following the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Access to Healthcare in Togo and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), chronic kidney disease is a major health problem in many countries and is responsible for a significant proportion of deaths. In Togo, the CHU Sylvanus Olympio in Lomé is currently the only public hospital in Togo to have a hemodialysis centre. Its capacity being limited, the waiting list amounts to more than 500 patients. In this hospital, kidney failure accounts for 10% of hospitalizations and 73% of nephrology consultations. Its location in Lomé makes access to emergency and regular treatment for kidney failure very difficult for the inhabitants of the Savanes, Kara and central Togo regions, who have to travel between 400 and 600 km to get there. render. At Kara University Hospital, kidney failure is the sixth leading cause of death with a mortality rate of 21.3%.
The Ecobank Group, through its Foundation, has pledged to donate USD 500,000 (equivalent to more than 300 million CFA francs) to the Ministry of Health, in partnership with UNDP, for the construction of a hemodialysis center at the University Hospital of Kara. This is in addition to the purchase of medical equipment, the training of health professionals and the assistance provided for the operation of the new centre.
Jeremy Awori, CEO of Ecobank Group, reaffirmed Ecobank’s continued commitment to supporting the Togolese government’s strengthening of health infrastructure: “We are proud to help finance this new dialysis center at the Center Hospitalier Universitaire de Kara. , and we thank our partners, the UNDP and the Ministry of Health, for their support in making this project a reality. This new center will enable patients suffering from kidney failure to benefit from life-changing and potentially life-saving treatment, in line with the mission of the Ecobank Foundation”.
Mrs. Seynabou Diaw Ba, acting resident representative of the UNDP in Togo, specified: “Actions must be intensified in order to guarantee vulnerable populations equitable access to quality basic social services. This is why we dare to believe that more resources will be mobilized from partners, for coordinated and sustained support to the health sector in order to leave no one behind and for the well-being of populations. »
The signing ceremony took place at the Ministry of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Access to Care, in the presence of Professor Moustapha Mijiyawa, Minister of Health of the Republic of Togo, Mr. Jeremy Awori , Managing Director of the Ecobank Group and Mrs. Seynabou Diaw Ba, UNDP Resident Representative, acting in Togo.
As a reminder, the Ecobank Group is the leading pan-African banking group in the private sector, with unparalleled African expertise. It is present in 35 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in France, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and China. Its unique pan-African network provides a unified platform for payments, cash management, trade and investments. The Ecobank Group employs over 13,000 people serving more than 32 million customers and offers a full range of products, services and solutions from Retail Banking, Commercial Banking and Corporate and Investment Banking across multiple channels, including digital.
The Ecobank Foundation was created to have a positive impact on the lives of people in Africa. Established by Ecobank Group, the leading pan-African banking group, the Foundation is positioned to contribute to the social and economic transformation of the continent, particularly in the communities in which the bank operates.
UNDP forges partnerships at all levels of society to help build resilient nations to achieve growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. Operating in approximately 170 countries and territories, we provide global perspective and local knowledge to serve people and nations.
FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/YUH/GABON2023