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:
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Yaoundé, Cameroon (Monday, April 14, 2008)
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Dakar, Senegal (Thursday, April 17, 2008)
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Lagos, Nigeria (Monday, April 28, 2008)
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Johannesburg, South Africa (Wednesday, April 30, 2008)
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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.
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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