Unibank Supports Childhood Blindness Control Project

UniBank Ghana Limited, as part of its corporate social responsibility, has presented GHC�10,000 to the University of Ghana Medical School in support of the Childhood Blindness Control Project. The project is to improve eye-health and eliminate blindness among children in the country. Mr. Owusu Ansah Awere, General Manager, Operations, presenting the cheque said the donation forms part of the company�s 10th anniversary celebration and demonstrates its social responsibility towards the vulnerable in society. He said uniBank has�caring� as one of its cardinal values and it is against this background, coupled with the fact that the bank is a good corporate citizen, that it has decided to support the project. Professor Yao Tettey, Acting Dean, University of Ghana Medical School College of Health Sciences, receiving the donation praised the bank for supporting the project. He said although some of the targets set for the years 2010 and 2011 to enhance capacity in caring for children with eye-health needs at the centre had been met, others are yet to be achieved. �Some of the targets have been achieved, but others are yet to be realised.� He said there is need to provide some essential equipment, instruments and consumables for comprehensive eye-care services, and invited others to follow uniBank�s example. Other needs include the establishment of a fund to cater for needy children with eye diseases especially treatable blindness -- who cannot afford treatment, and health educational programmes for the public and other eye-care workers on early detection of childhood blindness, he said. Speaking on the bank�s operations, Mr. Ansah Awere said the bank has put in the necessary strategies to face the future with confidence and is poised to explore the business opportunities in the promising sectors of the economy; and to provide the necessary financial intermediation and advisory services to meet the needs of its clients. He recounted uniBank�s financial performance over the years, the bank having recorded significant growth in total deposits, loans, profit-before-tax and shareholders� funds. Between 2003 and 2010, deposits grew significantly from GH�7.36 million to GH�307.87million, while loans and advances increased from GH�3.0million to GH�220.6million. Total assets grew from GH�9.6million to GH�393.4million. Profit before tax also increased from GH�81,000 to GH�6.83 million within the same period.