Making a Business of Positive Impact
T
oday, the world is prioritising the Ukraine-Russia war and over the past two years, interest has been largely focused on the COVID-19 pandemic. All the while, malaria remains a grave concern in Africa, and especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Even though the pandemic is not yet behind us, its consequences have been significantly reduced. It is now time for diseases like malaria to receive the attention they deserve. Despite remarkable progress in the past 20 years, malaria remains a leading cause of ill-health and death in sub-Saharan Africa, where only six countries account for over half of all malaria cases globally.1 In 2020, Africa accounted for 602,000 - or 96 8 | Africa Outlook issue 96
Centred on health, education and financial empowerment, the Ecobank Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life across Africa. Elisa Desbordes-Cissé tells us more Written by: Elisa Desbordes-Cissé, Head of Ecobank Foundation
percent of malaria deaths around the world, and 80 percent of these deaths were of children aged under five years old. The same year, 34 percent (or 11.6 million) of expecting mothers in
Africa suffered from malaria, resulting in 819,000 children born with low birthweight, putting them at increased risk of long-term health problems. Malaria is more than just a health issue, however. It is also a socioeconomic issue affecting us all in one way or another, including business productivity, educational attainment and families’ disposable income. For example, Africa loses 4.3 billion workdays and 1.5 billion school days due to malaria each year.2 A single episode of malaria costs a family on average nine USD, or three percent of the average annual income, and a person suffering from malaria can lose one to three weeks of work per episode.3 The World Bank estimates
