Antananarivo, Madagascar - Recognizing the important role played by private businesses to provide essential health services to the Malagasy people, a partnership agreement was officially launched on September 16 between the U.S. government through USAID and AccèsBanque to encourage health businesses and practitioners across Madagascar to seek out loans to grow their businesses. SHOPS Plus (Sustaining Health Outcomes through Private Sectors), a USAID-funded project, will bring technical assistance to help develop and sell the loan products.

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Health Josea Ratsirarson, USAID Mission Director Michelle Godette, and AccèsBanque Chief Executive Officer Mikhail Velichko presided over the official launch.

Through this partnership, AccèsBanque will provide health centers, medical practices, clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, laboratories, doctors, midwives, nurses and other non-governmental organizations working in the health sector with access to bank funding, with better and more satisfactory terms, to cover their investment or cash needs.

“We encourage the health sector businesses to reach out to AccèsBanque to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity,” said USAID Mission Director Michelle Godette. “This partnership represents the first effort of its kind to increase lending to health businesses in Madagascar.”

With today’s new partnership, Madagascar joins the ranks of countries across the world where USAID supports health sector partnerships for a total of $1.5 billion in health-related loans.