Chevron Contributes $5m to Fight HIV, Malaria in Nigeria

Mon, Nov 13, 2017 | By publisher


Health

By Anayo Ezugwu

AS part of its efforts to support fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Nigeria, Chevron Corporation, has donated $2.5 million to the Global Fund. The donation is for the implementation of the Chevron-Global Fund Anti-Retroviral Treatment Service Maintenance Programme (ART Programme), in Delta, Bayelsa, Ondo and Lagos states.

In 2018, the corporation will make final instalment of $2.5 million disbursement to support the HIV programmes, amounting to a total contribution of $5 million. Speaking at the Country Coordinating Mechanism, CCM-Nigeria annual retreat 2017 in Lagos on Saturday, November 11, the oil company said the funds were in addition to $6.7 million earlier donated by the firm to the Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV, PMTCT, in Bayelsa State.

Esimaje Brikinn, general manager, policy, government and public affairs, CNL, who represented the corporation, said the ART programme would help bridge a critical national health gap and continue Chevron’s work in achieving an AIDS-free generation. He said the programme would help reduce new HIV infections and improve the quality of life for people living with HIV and other affected people in the communities of the targeted states.

“Additionally, it will provide Nigerians with universal access to high-quality, patient-centred prevention, diagnosis and treatment services for tuberculosis, HIV and drug-resistant tuberculosis by 2020. The disbursements are part of a nine-year, $60 million commitment from Chevron to the Global Fund. The Global Fund raises and invests nearly $4 billion a year to support programs run by local experts to fight the three diseases in countries and communities most in need.

“The Global Fund is one of the world’s largest international financiers of health care programmes fighting these three diseases. Chevron has learned through decades of experience that our success is tied to the health and prosperity of the communities where we operate.

“Chevron’s social investments are developed through a participatory process and through partnerships not only with the communities who are living in proximity to our operations, but also with other stakeholders who share interests in common with our business for example government, non-governmental organizations, NGOs, non-profits, development agencies,” he said.

On his part, Isaac Adewole, minister of health, thanked Chevron for the gesture and urged the corporation to continue investing in Nigerian people. He said there is no greater investment than investing in people. “We are happy about what Chevron is doing to support government’s efforts in the fight of HIV and other diseases in Nigeria.

“Government alone cannot do this and we need your support to invest in our people but by investing in the people you also directly investing in your business. Everything within your establishment can only function properly if you invest in people. It is actually people that generate resources not equipments, not even money itself. So, we want to appreciate you because this is a worthy investment for the people of Nigeria,” he said.

Adewole regretted that Nigeria has been unable to capture all the capital inflow in HIV matter in the country. “We are also taking aback that we are unable to capture all the inflow into HIV matter in this country and it is a pleasant surprise to me that you have an extra portfolio of $6.75 million investment in the health sector. We will incorporate this into our data base because we are trying to capture all resources inflow into HIV.

“We are working on the national AIDS accounts and there are many things happening at different levels that we are unable to capture. If we aggregate all these together we will actually surpass the mandate given to us by the Global Fund. So, on behalf of federal government of Nigeria I want to say a big thank you. We deeply appreciate you and we will continue to remember this gesture and hope that you will be able to persuade other organisations particularly in the oil sector to continue to support our people,” he said.

–  Nov 13, 2017 @ 10:13 GMT |

 

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