Ecobank has donated medical equipment and drugs worth GH¢420,000 to 13 public health institutions across the country.

The donation is to mark Ecobank Day, a community action day, during which over 20,000 of the bank’s staff across Africa are encouraged to devote the day to serving the communities in which the group operates.

This year’s Ecobank Day was celebrated on the theme: “Malaria Prevention and Control in Sub-Saharan Africa”.

The items included malaria test kits, malaria drugs for adults and children, hospital beds, treated mosquito nets, among others.

Mr Morgan Fianko Asiedu, Executive Director Legal, Human Resource and Compliance, said the event was to give the Ecobank Group the opportunity to execute its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) between it and its stakeholders in all markets where the bank operates.

He said the annual community action day was also aimed to inspire the bank’s staff to use their collective talents and resources to make positive difference in their local communities.

Mr Asiedu said CSR activities had become the bedrock of most socially responsible organisations because the institutions believe that giving back to society and the environment in which they operated were strong pillars of sustainable growth.

He said the theme was chosen because Malaria was a major illness, and the cause of death in Africa.

An estimated 700,000 died from Malaria in Africa in 2012, while in Ghana 2,503 deaths were attributed to Malaria in 2013.

“As a Pan African Bank, Ecobank would like to be relevant stakeholder, an active partner and contributor, in the fight against malaria to eradicate malaria from Africa,” he said.

In Ghana, the Ecobank Day ceremony was held across 13 locations by the four affiliate companies, Ecobank Ghana Limited, eProcess International, Ecobank Development Corporation and EB-Accion Savings and Loans Company Limited and saw staffs in joint clean-up exercises and interacted with members of the communities on the prevention of malaria and maintaining clean environment.

Mr Asiedu appealed to Ghanaians to help keep the environment clean.

Nii Dr Adjei Kraku the Second, Tema Mantse thanked Ecobank for the gesture, and expressed the hope that the Bank would continue to provide support to the Tema Manhean Hospital.

Ecobank operates in 36 African countries, including Zimbabwe. It has a licensed operation in Paris and representative offices in Beijing, Dubai, Johannesburg, London and Luanda.