Nelson Mandela Childrens Hospital

Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital Trust

Barloworld invests in children’s health to enable successful and healthy communities

Barloworld is proud to have played a part in the realisation of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital project – a journey that started in 2012 when Barloworld committed to support the R1-billion project.

“The Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, one of only five on the continent, is a testament to positive change that can be achieved when the private sector, government and donor organisations join hands to realise the vision that Nelson Mandela bequeathed to South Africa,” says Sibani Mngomezulu, Group Executive for Human Resources, Strategy and Sustainability at Barloworld.

Children, especially in Africa, struggle with access to healthcare – a challenge that is harder to surmount for those who come from disadvantaged households.

Barloworld is of the view that no child should face reduced prospects of decent healthcare because of their circumstances.

According to UNICEF’s The State of the World's Children 2016 Report, children in Sub-Saharan Africa are 10 times more likely to die before their fifth birthdays than children in high-income countries.

The Sub-Saharan Africa region has the highest under-five mortality rate in the world, with one child in 12 dying before their fifth birthday – far higher than the average ratio of one in 147 in high-income countries. Most child deaths are caused by diseases that are readily preventable or treatable with cost-effective and quality interventions.

Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital will be dedicated to saving the lives of children. The 200-bed hospital will create capacity in the region so that more children will be treated irrespective of their social and economic status.

“Through the Barloworld Trust, we invest in carefully selected interventions which address some of South Africa’s most pressing problems in a structured, systematic manner. We adopt a structural approach to social responsibility, meaning we look at the cause of the problem and try find creative solutions to solve these,” said Mngomezulu. This project is aligned to Barloworld’s value system and belief that communities and business are inextricably linked, a belief that has spanned the 113 years of Barloworld being in business as a proudly South African company.

“We at Barloworld are proud to be involved in the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital. The hospital is not only going to change the lives of children in Sub-Saharan Africa but it will bring hope to many families.

“Well done to Sibongile Mkhabela, one of the independent Non-Executive Directors at Barloworld, and the Chief Executive Officer of Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital Trust, and the rest of the team for bringing this project to life. We look forward to the many milestones that will be achieved by this hospital of hope,” said Clive Thomson, Barloworld Chief Executive.

For more details about the project, visit www.nelsonmandelachildrenshospital.org.