By Haruna Gimba
The President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has called on all businesses in Nigeria and Africa, to support the health sector with at least one percent of their annual profit.
Represented by his daughter, Halima Dangote at the 2019 Africa Business Health Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Aliko Dangote, said business is highly interwoven with health.
“Business and healthcare are interwoven, and a healthy population can ensure the best labour force to build any economy successfully. Adequate healthcare for all has led to calls for greater private sector involvement in healthcare financing, humanitarian support and philanthropy.
“This is crucial for us in Nigeria and in Africa. As a businessman, and through Aliko Dangote foundation, I am committed to working with governments and key stakeholders for the development of impactful health initiatives in Africa.
“I believe that private sector leaders have a strong role to play. In the past, I have in my country charged business leaders to commit at least one percent of their profit after tax to support the health sector,” Dangote was reported saying.
The Executive Director of the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Michel Sidibé who also spoke at the forum said many countries are faced with serious challenges in investment in health and are unable to fight emergencies.
“This forum should also result in Fighting stigma and discrimination. Pharmaceutical production is huge business and is expected to move from 14 billion to 22 billion in only 8 years.
“That is 26 per cent of the total burden of disease of the world is on this continent, yet we are producing only 3% of the medicine we are consuming and I can tell you it’s a huge business,” he said.
Newsmen reports that the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Hammed launched the Africa Business Coalition for Health (ABC Health), to
champion private sector participation in achieving better health outcomes for Africa and Africans.
