Disclosing this in a statement, the company said it will launch a new programme: “The Safe Birth Initiative,” to support the Ministries of Health in Nigeria and Ivory Coast to tackle the high incidence of maternal and newborn mortalities in the two countries.
The statement quoted the Coca-Cola Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Group President, Brian Smith, to have said this during a courtesy visit to President Alassane Ouattara of the Republic of Ivory Coast.
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The programme will focus on strengthening the capacity of maternity and neonatal units in selected public hospitals in Ivory Coast and Nigeria, the statement said.
With US$2 million grant from Coca-Cola to Medshare International Inc., the US-based not-for-profit NGO will source essential equipment, kits and supplies worth about US$20 million to enable safe deliveries and post-delivery emergency care for both mothers and their newborns.
The programme will also include the training of biomedical technicians and other appropriate hospital personnel by Medshare International on the operation, repair and maintenance of the donated equipment as well as the reactivation of a huge stock of faulty or abandoned equipment in public hospitals which is a major challenge for the country’s healthcare delivery system.
In Nigeria, about 40,000 women and 260,000 newborns (excluding 300,000 stillborn) die during or shortly after childbirth annually. About 29 per cent of the newborn deaths (90,000) occur in the first 24 hours of birth.
For this reason, neonatal mortality is considered as one of the worst public health crises in Nigeria and a major priority for the Government in its resolve to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Brian Smith, Coca-Cola EMEA Group President stated, “The commitment to help promote sustainable development in our communities is a fundamental part of Coca-Cola’s strategy for sustainable business growth.
“This program which demonstrates this commitment will help save the precious lives of many mothers and newborns and also support the remarkable efforts of the Ivorian government at rebuilding this vibrant country,” he said.
President Ouattara welcomed Coca-Cola’s support for the Health Ministry, noting that maternal and child health was an area the country recorded a weak performance under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
“Your new program will translate to improved healthcare and budget savings which will be channeled to other needs” President Ouattara said, adding that his Administration has been able to drive fast growth in the economy at an average rate of nine per cent over the last 5 years.
“Our emphasis now is to boost social expenditure with a focus on health, education and youth employment in order reduce the poverty level further from 50 per cent to about 25 per cent by the end of my current tenure.”
Peter Njonjo, President of Coca-Cola West Africa Business Unit said “Coca-Cola has a special relationship with women who are pillars of our business, especially in Africa where women play a dominant role in our distribution and retail network. Just like our 5by20 Initiative, the Safe Birth Initiative which we will be implementing in Ivory Coast and Nigeria is a platform enabling us to promote the wellbeing of women, in this case, as it relates to the special but vulnerable experience of childbirth.”
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