Word: merck
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...particular drug company has been a significant player in Botswana: Merck. The U.S. firm created some of the first ARVs capable of treating HIV and AIDS (Crixivan and Stocrin), but has in the past been criticized for its methods of distributing them. In 2004, MSF singled out Merck for reneging on commitments to release the medicines at a cost of less than $1 per person per day. Merck was hurt by such accusations. (According to the firm's website, its founder, George W. Merck, once said: "We try never to forget that medicine is for the people...
...Merck's vice president of external affairs, Jeff Sturchio, acknowledges that not everyone will buy in to the company's efforts. "People are entitled to their own views," he says. "There will always be people who are cynical about big corporations." And yet it is undeniable that Merck's work is saving lives. The ACHAP program has been a stunning success. There are now 30 clinics providing free ARVs and counseling across Botswana, and four more mobile clinics to reach remote areas. More than 7,000 health workers have been trained in treating HIV/AIDS. Of the estimated 110,000 people...
...Merck's success in Botswana and similar CSR successes by other companies around the globe raise an interesting question: might businesses be better at aid than traditional NGOs and charities? There's reason to suppose they might be. After all, businesses the size of Merck are capable of marshaling greater medical expertise and more resources than any one NGO, and they are obsessed with results and efficiency...
...Merck's partner in ACHAP, the Gates Foundation, has ruffled many NGO feathers by imposing the same standards of accountability and transparency used by business on projects it funds - and cutting off those who don't comply. "There's been a paradigm shift in how people view the potential contribution of the private sector," says Dr. Nick Hellman, who made an inspection of ACHAP in August on behalf of the Gates Foundation. "They have the knowledge and the experience. Most drug companies have specific programs geared toward global health issues. If you're trying to distribute drugs...
From the most local civic groups to the largest businesses, we all want to make a difference. General Electric, for example, donates large amounts of hospital equipment. Becton, Dickinson does the same with syringes and diagnostics. Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Abbott Laboratories and others have launched major drug programs, backed by considerable staff efforts, to battle devastating diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS, trachoma, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis and more...