Press Information
June 25, 2013
Philips joins hands with healthcare, government and industry leaders to address
growing oncology challenges in Ethiopia
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Philips to host dedicated workshop on oncology care to advance the dialogue on the
future of cancer care in Ethiopia; cancer care evolution in the country takes centre
stage at discussions
Philips reaffirms its commitment to address the challenge of Non Communicable
Diseases (NCDs) and to improve the quality of mother and child care; will provide
clinical trainings for local healthcare professionals
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Royal Philips (AEX: PHIA, NYSE: PHG) arrives in Addis Ababa today
to raise awareness on how innovative solutions can improve oncology care in Ethiopia. Philips
is hosting a dedicated oncology workshop in collaboration with strategic stakeholders including
the Federal Ministry of Health and representatives from the Colleges of Health Science of:
University of Gondar, Jimma University and Addis Ababa University amongst others, to debate
the requirements of success for effective cancer treatment and care in Ethiopia. To improve
healthcare delivery in the areas of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and maternal and child
health, Philips will also train over 30 local healthcare professionals at the St. Paul’s Hospital
Millennium Medical College in Addis Ababa. Philips is in Ethiopia as part of the fourth
consecutive Cape Town to Cairo Roadshow 2013 in which Philips engages in a dialogue with
stakeholders on the key challenges facing Africa today.
Philips committed to improve healthcare through dialogue and collaboration
“The future of healthcare is one of the most pressing global issues of our time. At Philips, we are
passionate about advancing the healthcare agenda in Africa,” said Peter van de Ven, General
Manager, Philips Healthcare Africa. “The Cape Town to Cairo Roadshow is an important
vehicle for Philips to drive this agenda. Only through continued dialogue and collaboration can
we build good healthcare solutions that will improve patient care and keep healthcare costs
under control.”
Philips has a strong foothold in the Ethiopian healthcare market, working closely with its local
partner neuroMEDSS Healthcare Services Plc. By visiting Ethiopia as part of their pan-African
roadshow, Philips reaffirms its commitment to Ethiopia and maintains ongoing dialogues with
local stakeholders allowing them to leverage Philips’ global expertise, world-class technology,
quality tradition and drive for innovation and efficiency, especially in the fields of NCDs and
mother and child care.
Philips advances knowledge sharing to safeguard a high quality of care
“NCDs such as cancer are on the rise in Ethiopia”, says Roelof Assies, General Manager,
Philips East Africa. “At Philips we are using our expertise and network to ensure that there is
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knowledge sharing taking place; organizing this workshop is an important step in that direction.
Assies continues: “Training is another key area that requires urgent attention. Technology has
little value without sufficiently skilled staff to operate and maintain it. Our local clinical trainings
are essential to sustainably improve the quality of healthcare in Ethiopia.”
Philips has recognized that human resource development should be considered the most critical
issue for continued sustainability of healthcare projects and safeguarding a high quality of care.
During a two-day program, Philips will provide clinical trainings for local healthcare professionals
at the St. Paul’s Hospital in Addis Ababa. Through workshops and clinical trainings, Philips aims
to inspire new lines of thinking and to enable local healthcare professionals to bring the quality
of care to a higher level.
Sharing insights to develop the most patient-focused oncology care solutions
“Participating in Philips’ oncology workshop presents us an outstanding opportunity to tap into
the collective intelligence of the healthcare industry’s most innovative thinkers,” says Dr Mahlet
Yigeremu, Dean - School of Medicine and CEO, Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital of College
of Health Sciences Addis Ababa University. “We hope to uncover insights that can put a new
perspective on oncology care in Ethiopia, helping us develop and deliver the most patientfocused oncology care solutions possible to the Ethiopian population. We’re excited that Philips
is sharing these insights with us here in Addis Ababa.”
Philips Healthcare has a long history and heritage in innovations in oncology. There have been
tremendous technological strides made in cancer screening; early diagnosis can result in the
saving of many lives. Philips provides integrated solutions across the entire cycle of care in
oncology; from prevention, screening and early diagnosis to staging, treatment, surveillance and
remote patient management.
NCDs like cancer expected to become the most common cause of death in Africa
According to the Philips Fabric of Africa trends report, in 2010 NCDs like cancer were
responsible for 40% of all deaths in the African Region. The World Health Organization (WHO)
projects that it will be the most common cause of death in Africa by 2025. As a leading company
in health and well-being, Philips aims to address the growing challenge by providing solutions
for improved diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Philips also aligns its effort to improve the
quality of healthcare in Ethiopia with the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG) 4 & 5
focusing on reducing infant mortality and improving maternal health.
During the Roadshow 2013 Philips is also introducing its latest ultrasound – ClearVue 650
specifically designed for care providers across the wide variety of clinical environments in Africa.
The Philips ClearVue 650 is a new advanced imaging ultrasound system with Auto Face Reveal
facilitating the visualization of the baby’s face, possibly enhancing parental-fetal bondingi.The
ClearVue 650 is a lightweight and cost-effective system that supports clinicians in examining
pregnant women and enhances their diagnostics and decision-making process. In addition to
pregnancy care, the ClearVue 650 spans a range of applications from obstetrics and
gynecology to cardiology, abdominal, vascular, breast, musculoskeletal, urology and general
imaging.
Philips Cape Town to Cairo Roadshow 2013
This is the second time Philips visits Ethiopia as part of the Cape Town to Cairo Roadshow. To
further drive the improvement of the quality of healthcare in Ethiopia through public-private
partnerships, Philips has also recently launched the Fabric of Africa initiative. Ethiopia is one of
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the focus countries, illustrating Philips commitment to support Ethiopia in upgrading the
country’s healthcare system. The Philips’ Roadshow 2013 kicked-off in Cape Town on May 14th
and will make its way across seventeen countries and eighteen cities in Africa. With clinical
education and training programs for African healthcare professionals and through large scale
healthcare revitalization projects, Philips helps to improve standards of care in Africa.
The Roadshow will make its next stopover in Kampala, Uganda on 27th June.
For more information please follow the Cape Town to Cairo Roadshow on:
www.philips.com/africaroadshow
http://www.philipsafricaroadshow.com/infographic-roadshow-2013/
For further information, please contact:
Radhika Choksey
Philips Corporate Communications
Tel: +31 62525 9000
E-mail: radhika.choksey@philips.com
About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused
on improving people’s lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare,
Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips posted 2012 sales
of EUR 24.8 billion and employs approximately 116,000 employees with sales and services in
more than 100 countries. The company is a leader in cardiac care, acute care and home
healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as male
shaving and grooming and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at
www.philips.com/newscenter.
i
Pretorius D, Gattu S, Ji E, Hollenbach K, Newton R, Hull A, et al. Pre-examination and post-examination assessment of
parental-fetal bonding in patients undergoing 3-/4-dimensional obstetric ultrasonography. J Ultrasound Med.
2006;25:1411–1421.
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