Amref Signs MOU with Aga Khan Foundation East Africa

Amref Health Africa through the Institute of Capacity Development today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Aga Khan Foundation East Africa. The overall goal of Aga Khan Foundation is to improve the quality of life. The partnership seeks to attain this through provision of quality health care. “We have to think about how health affects quality of life and the poverty statistics,” stated Dr Githinji Gitahi, the Group CEO of Amref Health Africa. “According to a report by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 86% of the worlds “very poor” will be in Africa by 2030. Using current statistics, 60% of these will be youth. So, the question is, are we doing enough within the health sector to ensure that these statistics don’t come true? And if they do, that these young people will have good health care to allow for innovation and poverty reduction,” he stated.

Dr Githinji’s words were reiterated by Graham Wood, the CEO of Aga Khan Foundation East Africa who stated that the Foundation seeks strategic partners to ensure realization of their goals, and Amref is one of them. “We are happy to sign this MoU as we believe this partnership will keep us ahead of the times in regards to health care, to avoid the statistics that Dr Githinji has just mentioned,” he stated.

Also present during the signing ceremony was Dr George Kimathi, the Director, Amref Institute of Capacity Development and Dr Alice Lakati, the Interim Vice Chancellor of Amref International University. “This MoU seeks to strengthen our work through joint resource mobilization, research, innovation, policy influencing and sharing of learning materials, technology and technological platforms,” concluded Dr Kimathi.