Elekta, one of the top providers of radiation therapy for treating cancer, joins International Finance Corporation’s (IFC’s) Africa Medical Equipment Facility to expand access to cancer care in the continent.
Elekta joined IFC’s growing roster of world-class partners who are improving access to medical equipment and supplies to healthcare providers across sub-Saharan Africa. Sweden-headquartered Elekta’s participation in the IFC-led facility will help hospitals and stand-alone clinics in sub-Saharan Africa more easily obtain and service precision radiotherapy and oncology equipment used to treat cervical, breast, brain, lung, and other types of cancer.
The Africa Medical Equipment Facility (AMEF) works with partner financial institutions and medical equipment manufacturers to make affordable, long-term funding available to smaller African healthcare providers, which often struggle to secure financing, so they can purchase equipment needed to deliver high-quality care to patients.
“Technology can only improve care when it is accessible to everyone who may benefit from it,” said Habib Nehme, Elekta’s Executive Vice President for Turkey, India, Middle East, Africa, APAC & Japan. “At Elekta, we are committed to collaborating with partners such as IFC to help close the care gap in Africa.”
“Elekta’s partnership with the AMEF program will help equip oncological clinics with the necessary equipment and IT systems, helping develop and expand medical facilities within sub-Saharan Africa and strengthening the region’s healthcare infrastructure, in the wake of COVID-19, to treat a range of serious diseases,” said Henrik Elschner Pedersen, IFC’s Africa Director for Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Services.
AMEF also helps smaller health providers 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.
Launched in April 2021, the AMEF is currently active in Côte d’Ivoire and Kenya and plans to expand to Cameroon, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda. Partner financial institutions include the Co-operative Bank of Kenya and NSIA Banque Côte d’Ivoire.
IFC—a member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries.
In fiscal year 2022, IFC committed a record $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