KENYA – The International Finance Corporation (IFC), through its Africa Medical Equipment Facility (AMEF), has partnered with Elekta in a move that will help equip oncological clinics with the necessary equipment and IT systems while developing and expanding medical facilities within Africa.
IFC announced on its website that the Africa Medical Equipment Facility has welcomed Sweden-headquartered Elekta to its growing roster of world-class partners who are improving access to medical equipment and supplies to healthcare providers across sub-Saharan Africa.
IFC’s Africa Medical Equipment Facility aims to improve private sector healthcare delivery by enabling hospitals, clinics, pathology labs and diagnostic imaging centers to acquire the advanced equipment that can improve the quality and reliability of care provided.
In fiscal year 2022, IFC committed a record US$32.8 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of global compounding crises.
The global financial institution invites interested equipment manufacturers and financial institutions to contact IFC to explore partnerships under the Africa Medical Equipment Facility and the IFC-led facility partner financial institutions include the Co-operative Bank of Kenya and NSIA Banque Côte d’Ivoire.
“Launched in April 2021, the Africa Medical Equipment Facility is currently active in Côte d’Ivoire and Kenya and plans to expand to Cameroon, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda,” IFC said.
AMEF works with partner financial institutions and medical equipment manufacturers to make affordable, long-term funding available to smaller African healthcare providers hence ensuring that healthcare providers can purchase equipment needed to deliver high-quality care to patients.
Subsequently, Elekta’s participation in the IFC-led facility will help hospitals and stand-alone clinics in sub-Saharan Africa to easily obtain and service precision radiotherapy and oncology equipment used to treat cervical, breast, brain, lung and other types of cancer.
Elekta, a leading provider of radiation therapy for treating cancer, is committed to ensuring every patient has access to the best cancer care possible and the leader in precision radiation therapy collaborates with customers to advance sustainable, outcome-driven and cost-efficient solutions.
“Technology can only improve care when it is accessible to everyone who may benefit from it. At Elekta, we are committed to collaborating with partners such as IFC to help close the care gap in Africa,” said Elekta’s Executive Vice President for Turkey, India, Middle East, Africa, APAC & Japan Habib Nehme.
Elekta’s partnership with IFC’s Africa Medical Equipment Facility will strengthen the African region’s healthcare infrastructure, in the wake of COVID-19, to treat a range of serious diseases by increasing financing as well as supporting supply chains and the health care workforce.
Under the deal, AMEF will also help smaller health providers to access procurement training and equipment servicing thanks to its partnership with Elekta and others in the facility including KARL STORZ, GE Healthcare, Getinge, and Phillips.
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