IFC and World Bank Organize Health in Africa Forums to Support Africa’s Health Sector
April 14 to May 5, 2008
IFC
In Washington D.C.:
Ludi Joseph
Phone: +1-202 473 7700
E-mail: ljoseph@ifc.org
and
healthinafrica@ifc.org
In Johannesburg, South Africa:
Houtan Bassiri
Phone: +27-11 731 3179
E-mail: hbassiri@ifc.org
World Bank
In Abuja, Nigeria:
Obadaiah Tohomdet
Phone: +234-09 314 5269
E-mail:
otohomdet@worldbank.org
In Johannesburg, South Africa:
Mallory Lee Saleson
Phone: +27-12 431 3100
E-mail: msaleson@worldbank.org
In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania:
Rosalie Ferrao
Phone: +255-22 216 3200
E-mail : rferrao@worldbank.org
Washington, D.C. April 9, 2008—IFC
and the World Bank are organizing five Health in Africa Forums to discuss
how they can better support the health sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. The
meetings will be held from April 14 to May 5, 2008, as follows:
- Yaoundé, Cameroon (Monday, April 14,
2008)
- Dakar, Senegal (Thursday, April 17,
2008)
- Lagos, Nigeria (Monday, April 28, 2008)
- Johannesburg, South Africa (Wednesday,
April 30, 2008)
- Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (Monday, May
5, 2008)
IFC recently released The
Business of Health in Africa: Partnering with the Private Sector to Improve
People’s Lives, a report that highlights the private sector’s role
and ways in which it can be engaged in increasing quality and access to
health care for millions of Africans. IFC’s efforts form a key part of
the World Bank Group’s broader health, nutrition, and population strategies.
The forums will help build support for
IFC’s health strategy from a broad range of stakeholders, bringing together
lenders and experts to discuss business opportunities and regulatory barriers.
Panel discussions with representatives from the private and public health
sectors will be followed by sessions on financing, operations, and regulatory
issues of service provision, risk pooling, medical education, life sciences
manufacturing, distribution, and retail. IFC, the World Bank, the African
Development Bank, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will chair
the panels.
Guy Ellena, IFC Director for Health
and Education, said, “This is an excellent opportunity for IFC and the
World Bank to hear from health operators, investors, and other stakeholders
about the kinds of issues they face and what we can do to help increase
development impact and our ability to reach the poor.”
Representatives from development finance institutions, aid agencies, commercial
banks, civil society, and the media will be part of the audience.
(For copies of The Business of Health
in Africa and information on IFC’s strategy for the sector, please
visit http://www.ifc.org/healthinafrica.)
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, fosters sustainable economic growth
in developing countries by financing private sector investment, mobilizing
private capital in local and international financial markets, and providing
advisory and risk mitigation services to businesses and governments. IFC’s
vision is that poor people should have the opportunity to escape poverty
and improve their lives. In FY07, IFC committed $8.2 billion and mobilized
an additional $3.9 billion through syndications and structured finance
for 299 investments in 69 developing countries. IFC also provided advisory
services in 97 countries. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.
NOTE TO MEDIA: Press representatives
who wish to cover the forums should send completed registration forms (see
attached) to healthinafrica@ifc.org
and ljoseph@ifc.org.
Travel and accommodation will be the responsibility of each person. Non-media
representatives should e-mail healthinafrica@ifc.org.
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