HEI secures Microsoft’s grant to combat infant mortality

Health Emergency Initiative (HEI), a non-profit organisation dedicated to saving lives by covering hospital bills for indigent patients, has recently received funding from Microsoft.

The financial aid was aimed at reducing infant mortality by covering medical expenses for children aged 0 to 5 suffering from non-chronic and acute conditions such as sepsis, meningitis, kwashiorkor, malaria, malnutrition, malnutrition and tetanus etc across ten public hospitals in Lagos State, Nigeria.

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Available health data show that about 17 percent of children born in Nigeria do not reach their fifth birthday, underscoring the urgent need for early childhood health interventions.

With Microsoft’s support, HEI has provided essential medical care to hundreds of children, achieving about 82 percent survival rate among beneficiaries.

Microsoft’s commitment to this cause was further demonstrated when several of their staff members visited Massey Street Children’s Hospital alongside HEI representatives to witness the utilisation of the grant firsthand. This visit was part of Microsoft’s outreach programme, reinforcing the company’s dedication to supporting vulnerable communities through its annual giving programme and corporate social responsibility initiatives.

“We are grateful to Microsoft for their significant contribution,” said Paschal Achunine, executive director of Health Emergency Initiative.

“Their support has been instrumental in saving the lives of many vulnerable Nigerian children who otherwise would not have access to necessary medical care. We hope that this exemplary act of generosity will inspire other corporate organisations to collaborate with credible NGOs such as HEI for impactful CSR projects.”

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The project has reached the targeted number of beneficiaries across the selected hospitals. In addition to financial support, HEI will be providing CPR and First Aid training to some of Microsoft’s staff, further enhancing their emergency preparedness and capabilities.

Health Emergency Initiative is known for providing critical care to accident victims within the crucial first 24 to 48 hours, conduct CPR/First Aid training, and payment of hospital bills for indigent patients, with more than 46,900 beneficiaries to date.