DAVOS: During the World Economic Forum 2020, UPL Ltd. announced a new partnership with global healthcare non-profit organization, The Heart Fund, by joining the One Billion Hearts Platform.
The partnership platform supports the organization’s mission of improving cardiovascular health in Africa by enabling public-private partnerships and private sector investment over the next 10 years.
UPL’s contribution to The Heart Fund will provide vital funds for achieving the organization’s vision of providing universal access to cardiovascular health for 1 billion people by 2030.
The partnership will focus efforts on building greater local medical and health capabilities to increase the efficacy and access of public health services to traditionally underserved rural farming communities.
UPL is one of the largest agricultural inputs and bio-solutions providers for farmers across Côte d’Ivoire. Many small growers are affected by the large disparity between the medical care available to wealthy urban households and rural farming families.
With UPL’s support, rural communities will be able to access advanced cardiovascular services and screenings for the first time through the expansion of the geographical reach of The Heart Fund’s mobile cardiology clinic.
Jai Shroff, Global CEO of UPL Limited, said, ““Improving the lives of the growers, their families and other individuals in the communities where we work has always been a central focus for us, and a part of our vision for a sustainable future for agriculture. We are delighted to partner with The Heart Fund to accelerate progress in improving healthcare services and uplifting communities in Côte d’Ivoire.”
Dr David Luu, Founder & President of The Heart Fund, said, ““We are proud to launch the One Billion Hearts Platform with UPL. We strongly believe we could improve cardiovascular health of the rural farming communities through cardiovascular screening, preventive activities and health education in remote locations. We will leverage multi-stakeholders partnerships the latest innovations in digital health and last mile care delivery to detect and prevent cardiovascular disease. In Côte d’Ivoire there are thousands of people living with cardiovascular challenges, and with UPL’s support and assistance, we hope to revolutionize access to cardiac care in the region as part of our vision to provide universal access to cardiovascular health for 1 billion people by 2030.”
This partnership is in line with UPL’s OpenAg model which seeks to encourage sustainable growth for all and create a deeper impact on society to enable farmers to grow and prosper.
The partnership is also in line with national and global commitments made by countries and other stakeholders – such as the Sustainable Development Goals – to work collectively to improve health and tackle non-communicable diseases.
