Executive Summary
'Medicine for Africa' is a project aimed at improving the medical situation and development in sub-Saharan African countries by way of redesigning existing support channels and redirecting available funds, so that they will become more effective for their intended purposes.
The primary goal is to provide selective countries with broadly available health care coverage for its population, not only in major cities where coverage may already be present, but also and foremost in rural areas and areas where there is currently no or only insufficient health care coverage available to the population. The health care coverage that will be provided will not only consist of the provision of necessary drugs, but will also include preventive medicine, sex education and especially, the foundation for a system of self-supporting medical education for the country itself.
The project will be realized by the participation of a number of partners such as governments - of both developed and less / least developed African countries, as well as of non-government organizations (NGOs), not-for-profit organizations (NPOs), foundations and partners in business, including pharmaceutical companies, medical technology companies, hospital corporations, travel agencies, and others. MfA is also seeking the active co-operation of non-medical business partners who are looking to develop new or expand on exisiting activities in Africa. This collaborative venture will provide the sub-Saharan country not only with the necessary 'medicine' for its health care system, but also with some 'medicine' for its economic health and well-being.
States that will be considered as primary targets for the first stage of this project will consist of countries with democratically elected governments that have demonstrated keen interest and involvement in improving their country's overall situation, with emphasis on health care services as well as educational and economical development.
The realization of the project will build on the primary acceptance of the project's goals and requirements by the African country/countries, followed by winning over non-governmental organizations (NGOs), governmental agencies and private businesses to join the project in their respective areas. The first step to implement the program will be to win the appropriate governmental (health care, population, security, etc.) ministers of the target country before approaching western governments and private businesses to join the project.
The basic principle of this project lies in developing cooperation among the following participants:
o Qualified African democratic governments that are in need of help and willing to comply with certain prerequisites,
o American and European governments and/or the World Bank / WHO (World Health Organisation) etc. as donors of parts of the.required funds,
o Non-governmental organizations - NGOs - with some experience in the respective country, as partial fund donors and/or organizers,
o Mid-size Private Hospital Corporations (PHCs) and/or Medical Universities,
o The pharmaceutical (and possibly biotechnology) and medical device industries,
o Non-medical businesses and corporations with the desire to expand and establish subsidiaries or manufacuring plants in the target country,and
o Interested travel agencies.
The objective of this case study is to lay down a 'blueprint' for a project, titled 'Medicine for Africa', to provide all potential participants with an overview on how they can take part in this project.
The recent shift in trend of Middle Eastern patients, who no longer seek medical treatment within the USA, presents a unique opportunity for American and non-American centres of medical treatment excellence to establish satellite centres in other regions. Therefore, if well equipped and staffed hospitals would be available in certain African countries, these countries could attract a large new group of visitors, and thus gain an additional 'windfall profit' through this kind of 'medical tourism'.
The author believes, that the primary goal can be developed along the line of this 'White Paper', and that it can become a multiple win-win situation for all people and organizations involved - the African countries in which the hospitals will be established, the hospital corporation, supporting NGOs, the respective donor government, the medical (technology) industry, the pharmaceutical industry, and, last but certainly not least, American and European physicians and other medical personnel.
This project will create winners among all of its participants.