According to the Global Tuberculosis (TB) Report 2016, 40% of the 10.4 million people who get sick with TB, and 80% of the 580,000 people suffering from drug-resistant TB, are missed by health systems every year. Many are unaware that they even have it. TB can lay dormant in the body for years, the immune system merely restraining and not destroying it.
The first step to beating this disease is through awareness and education, the second being proper treatment. TB doesn’t have to be fatal. By educating communities, prevention becomes possible; and with proper treatment, TB becomes curable.
Standard Bank Group has partnered with many organisations in the fight against TB, HIV and Malaria. In 2015 we made a direct contribution of USD 2million to the Global Fund for the implementation of programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa. We have also collaborated in consumer finance initiatives which align the purpose of the Global Fund and Standard Bank, and in doing so, have raised a further USD 2million in funding.
A range of employee community involvement initiatives provide our people with opportunities to give back and actively participate in making a difference in the communities in which they work and live.
For more information on Standard Bank Groups sustainability projects, visit sustainability.standardbank.com. Read more about the Global Fund here ww.theglobalfund.org.