GFAN Africa: Partnerships with Private Sector Key to Achieving Desired Health Outcomes

On 5 September 2019, GFAN Africa and WACI Health joined in an event organized by The Global Fund and Goodbye Malaria in Cape Town: Step up The Fight: How African Private Sector Will Help End AIDS, TB and Malaria by 2030.

After years of remarkable progress in the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, new threats have slowed progress and enabled the three diseases to gain ground. With its capacity for innovation and collaboration, the private sector in Africa plays a crucial role in stepping up the fight to end these epidemics. 

Carol Kachenga of GFAN Africa speaks in the panel session

This high-level event was attended by South Africa’s and Namibia’s Ministers for Health and emphasized the important role of partnerships with the private sector in ending HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria in addition to drivingeconomic growth. Partnerships like these enable different actors to work on a common vision to achieve the highest possible impact–these are critical partnerships which break barriers.

In his remarks, Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, emphasized that we must Step Up the Fight or risk sliding back. He added “The Global Fund is about collaboration, innovation, data driven execution, and resources”. 

Panelists pose for a photo with Peter Sands

Noting that health is a human rights issue, panelists posited that for sustainable healthcare, the right product must be available at the right place, at the right time, to the right people to be able to achieve desired health outcomes. Private sector energy is needed to eliminate these three diseases. As a result of these partnerships, the Coca Cola distribution model, which reaches far and wide is being used to deliver medication to far flung areas.

At the event, Goodbye Malaria, which is supported by Nandos, an international restaurant group founded in South Africa, as well as other corporate partners, pledged R85 million (about US$5.5 million) to The Global Fund. This donation aims to expand a grant to eliminate cross-border malaria transmission in Mozambique, South Africa, and Eswatini. Project Last Mile, GBCHealth, and Zenysis Technologies also took the opportunity at this meeting to announce in-kind support and co-investments to increase the effectiveness of health programs through innovations. Africa Health Business pledged to support the mobilization of African business.

These co-investments will total more than US$23 million, and will contribute to achieving UHC and SDG3 on the health and wellbeing of all.