Panelists

• Dr. Felix Puma, Deputy Minister of Health, Zambia
• Dr. Robin Gorna, Global AIDS Policy Team Leader, DFID
• Mr. Ebenezer Omatsola Kpiasi, Medical Director, Chevron
  Nigeria and Mid-Africa
• Mr. Alex Cummings, President and COO, Africa Group, The Coca-Cola Company
• Dr. Jeff Sturchio, Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, Merck and Company

Summary

Dr. Sturchio: No debate anymore over the links between health and economic development

How is health investment being enacted? Through families, buyers/suppliers, coalitions and partnerships

Dr. Puma: The private sector in Zambia is overlooked; Zambia has both private and public health sectors; almost 50% of doctors in the public sector work part-time in the private sector.
The private sector can help address healthcare needs in Zambia by investing in the numerous business opportunities in the healthcare industry. Why invest in Zambia? Zambia is very stable and has not experienced war in over forty years. The country is lacking in health facilities, growing numbers of people are able to afford private health care, and there is an acute need of ambulances, medical supplies and other services. In addition, Zambia borders eight countries that would all benefit from health infrastructure.

Mr. Cummings: Coca-Cola ensures that their employees and their families have access to ARV drugs. Mr. Cummings suggested that we should be looking at health more broadly, using a framework like the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Coke is very involved with water sanitation, education, entrepreneurship, and health.

Dr Kpiasi: Chevron believes that Africa suffers from a “treatment” approach to HIV/AIDS. Chevron uses the peer educator model and favors a community participation strategy to addressing the epidemic. The company is working with women in northern Nigeria to educate them and their families about malaria prevention and clean water practices and building hospitals in Nigeria using a tripartite partnership approach. Chevron is also leading the business response to AIDS in Nigeria as a founding member and co-chair of the Nigeria Business Coalition against HIV/AIDS (NIBUCAA)

Dr Gorna: DFID’s goal is to eradicate poverty and meet the MDGs by 2015. DFID grants seek to promote economic growth and resilient livelihoods. DFID has supported the private sector response by providing seed-funding to the South African Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (SABCOHA) and supporting the apparel alliance in Lesotho to put in place HIV/AIDS workplace policies for female garment workers (many of these women are HIV positive). DFID is looking to scale-up its activities regarding access to medicines, and Dr. Gorna posed the question: “how can businesses most effectively be involved in the distribution of medicines and other related activities?”

Dr. Gorna noted that the AIDS epidemic has taught DFID that partners have to work across sectors in order to be successful.

Dr. Sturchio: How do you make partnerships successful/sustainable?

Mr. Cummings and Dr Gorna: Common goals and multi-year commitments are what make a partnership successful and ultimately sustainable. It is important to identify where you’re going, who is going to do what, who will be held accountable, and what mutually agreed-upon metrics will be used to evaluate progress. The recognition of the different roles of each partner as well as the commitment to engage local communities in the partnership are also essential elements.

Question from Victor Barnes to Dr Gorna: How is SABCOHA progressing?

Dr Gorna: SABCOHA has played a strong part in making sure the business community has a voice at the national level. The coalition has also supported initiatives to engage SMEs, namely grouping SMEs together to pool resources, which allows for shared risk, much like risk would be shared in a large organization. For example, the provincial government has partnered with a cleaning company to distribute condoms in the workplaces where they are employed (i.e., airports)

Question from USAID Country Director, Mozambique: Could we piggy-back on Coca-Cola’s distribution system in order to distribute medication?

Mr. Cummings: Coca-Cola currently uses its system to distribute condoms, but it would be difficult for the company to deliver drugs because of the liability issues and the need for some medications to be refrigerated. However, Coca-Cola is happy to discuss leveraging its distribution system with any institution.

Question from Rep from Dept of Agriculture: How can you define participation when you don’t get information from the communities which you serve?

Dr Kpiasi: Chevron performs rural appraisals in the communities in which they work to learn about what is important to the community. The company’s programs are then based on these appraisals. Chevron believes that people in the community must engage in the planning and decision making processes because they are part of the population that the programs strive to reach.

Question: Are mining companies in Zambia’s copper belt are assisting in fighting malaria?

Yes, many companies are involved in spraying; many companies also provide ARV treatments for HIV infected employees.

Question: How was Chevron able to stop all HIV transmission from mother to child?

Dr Kpiasi: We adopted a 0% new HIV infections mindset, thinking outside of the traditional medical system.