Ethiopia has expanded the possibilities of cures for non communicable dieses (NCD) via a partnership with Novartis Social Business.
Novartis, the Basel, Switzerland medical giant agreed with the government of Ethiopia to supply NCD medicine affordably as part of being a socially responsible business.
Since last year the company has commenced a one USD program in Ethiopia. They also have similar programs in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Cameroon and other African countries.
During the annual event held with the motto: ‘Sustaining the Momentum toward Universal Health Coverage in Africa’ in Kampala, Uganda they discussed their plans for Ethiopia.
Dr Kunuz Abdella, an advisor at the Ministry of Health, told Capital that the company is one medicine supplier that the Ministry of Health is working together to provide affordable access to treatment.
“They are supplying the product and being corporately responsible. The capacity building program is one of the areas we are working together on,” Kunuz said.
The prevalence of NCDs like cancer and hypertension have increased, but treatment is very expensive. Novartis is working on access to medicine as part of a component on universal access on health.
The collaboration between the government and the company shows that the Public Private Partnership needs strengthening. During the meeting we saw that we could improve healthcare by working together,” he added.
Guesh Haile, Novartis Social Business Country Representative, said that under Novartis Medicine Access Program the company agreed with the government of Ethiopia to supply medicine for breast cancer, hypertension /blood pressure, asthma and diabetes for USD one per month.
It is a business model with fewer profit margins to improve health access in the country. In addition to supplying meds they will work on capacity building. “Currently through the partnership with the Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET) we are working to decentralize the treatment to lower medical centers in addition to hospitals,” he said.
The company has also agreed to expand its operation via the Ethiopian Red Cross Society pharmacies located throughout the country.
Mihret Tamir, representative of the Ethiopian Red Cross who attended the event, told Capital that the Danish Red Cross Society and Novartis have agreed to start supplying NCD treatment via its drug stores to places like Jinka, Harar and Assosa.
Guesh said “since the Red Cross does similar work to us we have signed an agreement to supply the medicine and training.”
He said that in the coming few months Novartis Social Business is expected to launch teaching programs about healthy communities and families.
He said that through this partnership 300,000 patients will be diagnosed this year.
Dr Nathan Mulure, Cluster Head, Novartis Social Business, East and Southern Africa, said that the company has expanded its operation in Ethiopia and other African countries.
His company is working with the government of Ethiopian and THET, which is a UK based NGO, to rollout its corporate social responsibility. Despite the agreements signed in 2015 to commence the one USD program, it is only gaining traction now.
Dr Nathan said that last year 300,000 packs of treatments were supplied in Ethiopia but this year that will grow to over a million.
Novartis brings affordable NCD treatment
Africa needs double-digit growth to achieve SDGs, says Economic Report on Africa
African countries need to grow their economies faster if they are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by the target date of 2030, the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) says in its annual report.
The SDGs can be achieved by carrying out comprehensive macroeconomic reforms to build resilience, raise potential growth and improve inclusiveness, says the Economic Report on Africa (ERA), released in Marrakesh, Morocco.
To accelerate growth to double digits by 2030, Africa needs to boost investment from its current 25 per cent of GDP – much lower than the 32 per cent in East Asia and the Pacific – to 30–35 per cent, and substantially improve productivity,” according to the Report. “The domestic drivers include sustained investment in infrastructure and strong private consumption, along with higher oil production (from new fields) and favourable weather.”
The continent’s gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to rise to 3.4 per cent this year from 3.2 per cent in 2018 and to 3.7 per cent in 2020 on the back of rising private consumption, rising and sustained public investment, higher commodity prices, current oil exploration and production and favourable weather, it says.
“However, most African economies face downside risks to growth from the tightening of monetary policy and new protectionist policies in advanced economies; weather-related shocks, especially in agriculture-dependent economies; threats of terrorism and conflict; political instability and high chance of debt distress in some countries,” says the ERA.
The Report, in a section on recent economic and social developments, says Africa’s progress in poverty reduction remains steady, albeit slow, because poverty reduction has not kept up with population growth.
“So even as the poverty rate falls, the number of people in absolute poverty has remained around 390 million,” adding that women represent a proportionately higher percentage of the working poor as the gender gap in Africa is still tilted in favour of men.
On the proposed African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), the Report says the reforms it will create can help to reduce the negative effects of external shocks on African countries and also enhance trade performance as well as assist their integration into global value chains.
TOTAL start uppers
With the objective of encouraging young innovative entrepreneurs, Total Ethiopia sc. awards nearly 25 thousand Euros for top three winners of start uppers of the year 2018/19 Total challenge in an official ceremony held at Hyatt Regency Hotel last Thursday.
Shumete Gizaw, State minister of innovation, Haile G/selassie, the all-time best athlete of the world and members of international community attended the celebration event.
“Total believes in young entrepreneurs and continues to encourage start uppers to contribute for the economic and social development of the country” said Thibault Lesueur, Managing Director of Total Ethiopia during the event.
