Zero malaria ! Two companies commit to Burkina Faso and make a donation of 35 million CFA francs

On Wednesday, May 11, 2022, an official ceremony was held to hand over 100,000 RDTs (rapid diagnostic tests) for malaria to the Ministry of Health of Burkina Faso. This donation, brought by the President of the Board of Directors of the company Univers Bio Médical, is the result of a good collaboration and a strong partnership between the company and its supplier SD BIOSENSOR INC, based in South Korea.  Mobilized alongside Ecobank Burkina and Speak Up Africa, within the framework of the initiative « Zero Malaria ! Companies are committed », the managers of Univers Bio Médical have made their commitment concrete. Worth 35,000,000 CFA francs, these RDTs are made available to the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene for the National Malaria Control Program (PNLP). This contribution aims to support the country in closing the gaps in this area. 

« As actors of the private health sector, based and operating in several countries of the sub-region, including Burkina Faso, we are fully aware of the magnitude and negative impact that malaria has on everyone and at all levels. That is why, from the very beginning, we have welcomed the Zero Malaria ! initiative and we have spared no effort to find the voices and means to contribute to it. »

Mr. Dramane COULIBALY, President of the Board of Directors of Univers Bio Médical.

Burkina Faso is one of the countries most affected by malaria. Statistics from health facilities show that malaria is the main reason for consultation, hospitalization and death. In 2021, more than 12 million people were affected with more than 4000 cases of death. 

« Today, to see this noble gesture materialize with this official delivery of 100,000 RDTs offered to the Ministry of Health by our partner Univers Bio Médical with the support of its supplier, SD BIOSENSOR INC, is a great source of satisfaction and pride. This contribution is a proof that the participation of the private sector is possible and is one of the important levers to fill a certain number of gaps of the national strategic plan to fight against malaria ».

Mr. Nomwendé KABORE, Director of Commercial Banking at Ecobank Burkina.

Dr. Robert KARGOUGOU, Minister of Health and Public Hygiene, emphasized that this donation to the Ministry of Health will reinforce the enormous efforts already made by the State and its partners in the fight against this endemic, and it will contribute to the development of a more effective and efficient health system, undoubtedly contributing to saving many lives.  While thanking the donors and partners, he was pleased with the positive impact of this initiative of private sector involvement with the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene. He also reassured donors of the proper use of these RDTs which are timely at the beginning of the rainy season, a period during which many cases of malaria are recorded.

Throughout the ceremony, the speakers all reiterated a call to action to all private sector actors for a mutualization of efforts in support of the Ministry of Health for a « malaria-free Burkina Faso by 2030 ».

As a reminder, on July 2, 2020, the Ecobank Group, in collaboration with the non-profit organization Speak Up Africa and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, launched the « Zero Malaria ! Corporate Commitment » initiative. This initiative supports the « Zero Malaria ! I Pledge » campaign, endorsed by the African Union and the RBM Partnership in 2018. It aims to strengthen the efforts of African governments in the fight against malaria by mobilizing private sector companies to contribute to country efforts in the fight against malaria. The « Zero Malaria ! Businesses Get Involved » initiative, launched in Burkina Faso in April 2021, is being implemented in Benin, Senegal, and Uganda.