Eikos lands US government contract

EIKOS RISK Applications has been appointed to handle the global marine and warehousing insurance programme for the US government’s President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The contract, which was awarded in the face of strong international competition, is seen as due recognition of Eikos’s growing reputation and its specialisation in the transportation risk environment, says Hugh Reimers one of the Eikos directors. “Increasingly we are seeing that we have significant value to add in terms of our expertise, our structure and our understanding of the logistics business on a world wide basis. “It is humbling to know that we, a relatively small, predominantly South African company have succeeded in the international arena against only international competitors to attain a client as important as the US government.” In 2003 the United States pledged $15 billion over five years to combat HIV/AIDS internationally. Working collaboratively with international, national and local leaders, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar) seeks to “promote integrated prevention, treatment and care programmes with an urgent focus on countries that are most afflicted by the disease.” Specifically, Pepfar aims to support treatment for two million people infected with HIV/AIDS; prevent seven million new infections; and support care for 10 million people infected with or affected by the disease including orphans and other vulnerable children. As part of the Emergency Plan, a new project administered by the US Agency for International Development (USaid) called the Supply Chain Management System Project (SCMS) was established to collaborate with in-country and global partners to ensure a reliable, cost-effective and secure supply of high-quality medicines and health products for HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment. Importantly, SCMS will assist in improving capacity of national supply chains in order to ensure long-term sustainability of distribution systems in participating countries. Volume of shipment is estimated at $150 million per year. The Eikos Group, through its two main operating divisions – Eikos Risk Applications, a South African marine insurance broker and transportation risk consultant, and Eikos Risk Capital Limited (based in London), a strategic risk consultant – has been operating since 1999.