Ecobank Transnational Incorporated : Group through its Foundation, donates US$500,000 towards construction of nephrology and dialysis centre at Kara University Hospital to treat kidney disease in Togo.

Partnership with Togolese Ministry of Health and UNDP

Lomé, Togo - 29 March 2023: the leading pan-African banking group, Ecobank, is to provide US$500,000 for the construction of a nephrology and dialysis centre at the University Hospital of Kara, having signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Access to Health Care of Togo and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

According to the World Health Organization, chronic kidney disease is a major health problem in many countries and causes a significant proportion of deaths. In Togo, the Sylvanus Olympio University Hospital in Lomé is currently the only public hospital in Togo with a hemodialysis centre. As it is limited to treating a maximum of 500 patients, it has a very lengthy waiting list. Renal failure accounts for 10% of its hospitalisations and 73% of its nephrology consultations. Its location in Lomé makes access to emergency and regular treatment for renal failure very difficult for those who live in the Savanes, Kara and centre regions of Togo, as they face a journey of between 400 and 600 km to Lomé. At the University Hospital of Kara, renal failure is the sixth largest cause of death with a mortality rate of 21.3%.

The Ecobank Group, through its Foundation has committed to donating US$500,000 - the equivalent of more than CFA 300 million - to the Ministry of Health, in partnership with UNDP, towards the construction of a nephrology and dialysis unit at the University Hospital of Kara. This is in addition to purchasing medical equipment, training the healthcare professionals, and supporting the functionality of the new unit.

Jeremy Awori, Chief Executive Officer of Ecobank Group Ecobank Group reaffirmed Ecobank's continued commitment to supporting the Togolese Government's strengthening of health infrastructure: "We are proud to help finance this new nephrology and dialysis centre at the University Hospital of Kara, and we thank our partners UNDP and the Ministry of Health for their support in making this project a reality. The new unit will provide patients suffering from renal failure with treatment that is life-changing and life-saving."

Mrs. Seynabou DIAW BA, UNDP Resident Representative, a.i. in Togo, said: "We must intensify actions to guarantee equitable access to quality essential social services for vulnerable populations. This is why we dare to believe that more resources will be mobilised from partners for coordinated and sustained support to the health sector so that we leave no one behind and for the well-being of the population."

The signing ceremony took place at the Ministry of Health, in the presence of His Excellency Professor Moustapha Mijiyawa, Minister of Health of Togo, Mr. Jeremy Awori, Managing Director of the Ecobank Group and Mrs. Seynabou DIAW BA, UNDP Resident Representative, a.i. in Togo.

-ENDS-

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About Ecobank Group (or 'Ecobank Transnational Incorporated' or 'ETI')

Ecobank Group is the leading private pan-African banking group with unrivalled African expertise. Present in 35 sub-Saharan African countries, as well as France, the UK, UAE and China, its unique pan-African platform provides a single gateway for payments, cash management, trade and investment. The Group employs over 13,000 people and offers Consumer, Commercial, Corporate and Investment Banking products, services and solutions across multiple channels, including digital, to over 32 million customers. For further information, please visit www.ecobank.com.

About the Ecobank Foundation

The Ecobank Foundation was created to make a positive impact on the lives of people in Africa. Established by the Ecobank Group, the leading pan-African banking Group, the Foundation is positioned to contribute to the social and economic transformation of the continent, particularly in the communities in which the bank operates. For more information, please visit: www.ecobankfoundation.org

About UNDP

UNDP forges partnerships at all levels of society to help build resilient nations, to achieve growth that improves the quality of life for all. Operating in some 170 countries and territories, we bring a global perspective and local knowledge to bear on the lives of people and nations. www.undp.org