A recent article in the East African weekly newspaper drew my attention. Paul Redfern, the author of the piece, said funding for HIV and AIDS in Africa would be reducing and would one day come to an end. What then for African states that have for years not set aside a budget to cater for health?
Governments and non-governmental organizations alike will have to court the private sector and forge partnerships with multinationals and local enterprises in order to finance the health sector.
“Public-private partnerships (PPP) work tremendously well to attract funding and innovative strategies to tackle public health issues,” says Francis Njangiru, GBCHealth, an organization which specializes in helping for-profit companies get involved in PPPs.
He said: “Through our membership, which spans Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States of America, companies come together to learn how to be more involved in facilitating, funding and or managing public health concerns such as malaria, TB, and HIV and AIDS.”
Last year, GBCHealth partnered with PATH, a global non-profit organization, to manage a unique project based in Nairobi, Kenya. The Partnership for an HIV-Free Generation Kenya (HFG/K) was set up as a pilot project in 2007 to roll out a youth centred and youth involved program called the G-PANGE movement.
The project, currently in its fourth year, was recently awarded a license to become a fully-fledged NGO operating in Kenya.
“HFG/K has recorded many firsts in the area of HIV and AIDS programming and strategies,” continues Mr. Njangiru. “Through the G-PANGE youth brand, HFG/K has released two TV dramas in partnership with MTV Networks, the Staying Alive Foundation, Government of Kenya, UNICEF and the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS in Africa (PEPFAR).”
Shuga, the TV drama, has been well received by the youth and other NGOs who use it as a tool to engage focus groups in discussions about safer sex, HIV testing and counselling, multiple concurrent relationships and gender violence.
Pamoja Mtaani, a computer game made in partnership with Warner Bros, was another win for HFG/K. Working with local companies in Kenya, HFG/K established a six month mentorship program with the Standard Media Group for 15 journalist hopefuls.
Mr. Njangiru adds: “The G-PANGE PenTribe, as we call them, are a group of 15 young people who have an interest in writing, photography, journalism and all things media. For six months they work with the managing editor, features editor and photo-editor of the Standard newspaper and each week they publish their work in two pull outs - Pulse G-PANGE on Fridays and Generation Next G-PANGE on Sundays.”
Mr. Njangiru is quick to add that HFG/K is one of the many organizations in the non-profit sector bringing together the core competencies of the private sector with those in the public sector.
Other PPPs that GBCHealth members have implemented include Health@Home Kenya, Healthy women, healthy economies, the US HIV Initiative and China HIV/AIDS media partnerships.
