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World Map of Key Activities

What follows is a text version of the information contained in the World Map. Click on the links below to jump to specific sections in this page.

Improving Access to Medicines, Vaccines and Health Care

Product Donations and Disaster Relief

Conducting Ourselves Ethically and Transparently

Managing Our Environmental Footprint

Supporting Our Local Communities

Supporting Science Education

Improving Access to Medicines, Vaccines and Health Care

Product Donations and Disaster Relief

Disaster Relief

• Peru: In August 2007, Pisco, Peru, experienced a deadly earthquake.  The majority of the health infrastructure was damaged or destroyed and citizens were in need of medical attention.  In response, Merck donated $75,000 to the Real Medicine Foundation to support efforts to establish a health clinic in the affected region. With support from MSD Peru, a team from the Real Medicine Foundation was deployed to assist those in need. The primary objective of the project was to bring long-term free health care to the victims of the earthquake. In addition, Merck also responded to a request from The Ministry of Health of Peru, via Direct Relief International, and provided vaccines for hepatitis B and rotavirus valued at $2.9M along with a donation of NOROXIN^® and ARCOXIA™ (etoricoxib) valued at $10,000 from MSD Peru.
• Southeast Asia:  On December 26, 2004, a massive tsunami devastated parts of Southeast Asia, India and the eastern coast of Africa. Merck immediately joined in the massive worldwide relief effort. In the days following the disaster, Merck made a contribution of $3 million to the American Red Cross, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and several local agencies in support of their work in the massive relief and longer-term rebuilding efforts. We also donated more than $7.5 million in much-needed medicines and vaccines through established relationships with select private voluntary organizations (PVOs).
  
  In addition, Merck activated its Disaster Relief Matching Funds Program, through which Merck employees worldwide were able to make cash contributions to three major agencies working to assist countries affected by the tsunami–the American Red Cross International Fund, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and Save the Children. Employee donations totaled more than $500,000, and were matched 100 percent by The Merck Company Foundation, for a total contribution of $1 million.
• Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Pakistan: In the aftermath of the tsunami in December 2004, a number of Merck subsidiaries contributed to the relief effort through cash contributions and product donations to relief organizations working in the region: 
  • Immediately following the disaster, employees at MSD Indonesia, MSD Thailand, MSD Singapore and MSD Malaysia began collecting food, blankets and water to distribute to victims. Their support continued through local product and monetary donations toward the ongoing relief efforts.
  • MSD Thailand worked with the local pharmaceutical research and manufacturing association to donate anti-infectives and vaccines. In addition, MSD Thailand employees raised money to help rebuild a colleague's family home in Phang-Nga that was destroyed by the tsunami. Since the disaster, MSD Thailand has been evaluating assistance options to help rebuild medical infrastructure.
  • Employees at MSD Pakistan agreed to donate one day's salary to tsunami relief efforts - a contribution that was matched by the local subsidiary. MSD Pakistan also donated Merck medicines to assist aid efforts in Sri Lanka.
  • MSD Taiwan employees raised funds through the Merck Disaster Relief Matching Funds Program to assist disaster relief efforts by the Taiwan Red Cross and other local charities. MSD Taiwan also donated Merck medicines to support relief efforts.
• Myanmar: In response to Cyclone Nargis, which hit the South East Asia country of Myanmar on May 2, 2008, The Merck Company Foundation made a $50,000 donation to Save the Children, and Merck’s Office of Corporate Responsibility provided donations of medicine (NOROXIN, PEPCID and PRINIVIL) through MAP International, Direct Relief International and International Health Partners UK. Merck employees in the United States made contributions through the Company's Partnership for Giving campaign, which were matched 1:1 for a total contribution of $8,000. Merck Frosst employees in Canada matched employee contributions 2:1 for a total of $8,604.
• China: In response to the May 12, 2008, earthquake that jolted southwestern China's Sichuan Province, Merck donated nearly $1.7 million in resources to address the immediate needs of the recovery efforts. This response included cash contributions, requests for medicines and vaccines from our non-profit humanitarian partners, as well providing technical support on the ground where possible. Merck also intends to get involved in the rebuilding efforts.
  
  In addition, The Merck Company Foundation made an initial $50,000 contribution to the American Red Cross China Relief Fund and matched all U.S. and Puerto Rico-based employee and retiree contributions to the American Red Cross–China Relief Fund 2:1.  Employees and retirees donated $102,500 (for a total donation of $307,500).  Merck employees and retirees in the United States also donated an additional $34,000 to relief organizations other than American Red Cross.  These donations were matched 1:1 for a total donation of $68,000.
  
  Local subsidiaries also contributed to the relief efforts: MSD China made a $100,000 donation to the Red Cross China and matched contributions made by employees 1:1 for a total MSD donation of $208,000; in Japan, Banyu matched contributions made by employees 1:1, for a total donation of $18,260; and Merck Frosst in Canada matched contributions made by employees 2:1 for a total of $31,704.
• North Korea: In 2007, natural disasters affected nearly 1 million people in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Floods following heavy rain in displaced some 170,000 people from their homes. Merck promptly responded to an appeal from AmeriCares for NOROXIN and PRIMAXIN, valued at $256,000 to address the rise in infectious diseases among the population in the affected area.
• Pakistan: In 2005, The Merck Company Foundation responded with a $250,000 cash contribution to the Pakistani President’s Relief Fund for Earthquake Victims. MSD Pakistan employees donated one day’s salary, which was matched 100 percent by MSD Pakistan. In addition, employees at MSD subsidiaries responded with cash donations totaling approximately $118,000. Employees in the U.S. donated $65,000 which was matched by The Merck Company Foundation for a total of $130,000. MSD Pakistan and the Merck Office of Contributions also made an emergency donation of various medicines.
• Lebanon: To date, Merck has donated $1.9 million worth of medicines to non-profit organizations working in Lebanon, directly and through our MSD subsidiaries. Additionally, MSD Israel has donated grocery packages to people in need, and MSD Israel employees donated items to other employees who were displaced in the conflict.
• United States (California): In October 2007, Southern California experienced serious wildfires. The American Lung Association of California (ALAC) requested 2,000 doses of Merck's pneumococcal vaccine to be administered at several vaccination clinics that the ALAC was holding in the weeks after the wildfires. According to the ALAC "…ample scientific evidence shows that excessive exposure to smoke inhibits the lungs’ ability to fight disease, thus leaving residents more susceptible to developing flu and pneumonia infection."
• United States/Gulf Coast: When Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the Gulf Coast of the United States, Merck responded by taking several steps to assist with the massive relief efforts in the region.
  
  The Merck Company Foundation made a $1 million donation to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Merck employees and retirees donated approximately $750,000 to relief agencies responding to Hurricane Katrina–and later, Hurricane Rita–through the Company's matching funds program. These donations were matched 100 percent by The Merck Company Foundation, for a total contribution of $1.5 million. In addition, The Merck Company Foundation made cash contributions to Xavier University of Louisiana College of Pharmacy and Tulane University School of Medicine to assist their rebuilding efforts.
  
  Merck also made substantial donations of our medicines and vaccines through impacted state health departments and relief agencies, donating more than $10.8 million to assist hurricane relief efforts across 10 states. This included nearly $10.1 million in vaccines — including a donation of 1,470 doses of hepatitis B vaccine for AmeriCorps volunteers headed to the Gulf Coast — and more than $725,000 in non-vaccine pharmaceutical products. In addition, Merck replaced prescription medicines for patients (through retail pharmacies) who lost their existing prescriptions as a result of the hurricanes. The total value of the medicines delivered/donated through the Prescription Replacement Program was an estimated $660,000.
  
  Merck’s West Point, Pennsylvania, site also donated an ambulance and 20 construction trailers to Mississippi that were used as clinics and meeting places for community groups by four relief and faith-based organizations.
• Dominican Republic: In June 2007, Merck provided 10,000 doses of our pneumococcal vaccine, 10,000 doses of our hepatitis B vaccine and 50,000 doses of our measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to Project HOPE for disaster relief efforts.

Product Donations

• Kyrgyzstanand Uzbekistan: Since 2005, Merck has provided cardiovascular medicines such as ZOCOR, PRINIVIL, ZETIA and VYTORIN to AmeriCares for their Central Asia Cardiovascular Initiative (CACVIDI) in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. According to the WHO's Mortality and DALY (Daily Adjusted Life Years) Rates, cardiovascular disease is responsible for more DALY's than any other malady in Central Asia. More than 50 percent of all deaths are attributed to cardiovascular disease in Uzbekistan.  In Kyrgyzstan, cardiovascular disease is responsible for 43 percent of all deaths.

  To address this need, AmeriCares and their in-country partners, Soglom Avlod Uchun in Uzbekistan and ADRA Kyrgyzstan, worked with Merck to develop a program to treat cardiovascular disease in a select group of patients.  The CACVDI program was originally designed to support around approximately 550 patients in 11 different cardiology institutions.  To date, approximately 600 patients have participated in the program.  The CACVDI is a comprehensive initiative that not only includes delivery of donated pharmaceuticals donations, but also focuses on lifestyle counseling and patient and physician education on cardiovascular disease.

• Tajikistan: In September 2008, Merck donated its pneumococcal,cervical cancer, and hepatitis B vaccines to Project HOPE for Tajikistan. The cervical cancer vaccine will be administered to girls and young women, the pneumococcal vaccine will be administered to at-risk elderly patients and the hepatitis B vaccine will be administered to health workers.
• Senegal:  In September 2008, Merck donated 1,000 doses of its pneumococcal vaccine to MAP International to protect patients in Senegal. MAP will work in partnership with Partners International to administer the vaccine to at-risk populations in the Centre Medical Social Barthimee in Theis, Senegal.
• Kenya: In August 2008, Merck donated 150 copies of The Merck Manual Home Edition to Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) for use by CMMB community health workers in Kenya.
• Cambodia: In September 2008, Merck donated 1,200 doses of its hepatitis B vaccine and 1,200 doses of its pneumococcal vaccine to AmeriCares for Cambodia. Hepatitis B infection accounts for an estimated 8,000 deaths and lower respiratory infections such as pneumonia account for roughly 5 percent of overall deaths in Cambodia. AmeriCares will work with the Sihanouk Hospital of Hope in Phnom Penh to administer the vaccine to at-risk populations at the hospital. 
• Malawi: In September 2008, Merck donated its hepatitis B vaccine to Direct Relief International for Malawi. Direct Relief will work with Mulanje Mission Hospital to administer the vaccine to at risk-populations at the hospital.
• Moldova: In June 2008, in response to a mumps epidemic, officials with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF (The United Nations Children's Fund) and Merck announced the donation and delivery of 100,000 doses of Merck's measles, mumps and rubella vaccine for Moldova, in response to an ongoing serious mumps outbreak in that country. The vaccine is being delivered through a national immunization campaign for children and young people carried out by the Moldovan Ministry of Health. 
• Haiti: In December 2007, Merck donated 2,808 doses of its hepatitis B vaccine to MAP International and its partner, Partners in Health, to immunize staff and community health workers in the Central Plateau area of Haiti.
• Philippines: In November 2007, Merck donated 40,002 doses of its hepatitis B vaccine to MAP International for administration in the Philippines. MAP is working with Children International to administer the vaccine to young people in cities across the Philippines.
• United States(Louisiana): In September 2007, Merck donated 100 doses of its hepatitis B vaccine to complete the full vaccination schedule for emergency first responders in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. This donation ensured the full vaccination of emergency first responders in an underserved area of Louisiana still grappling with recovery from Hurricane Katrina that hit the area in 2005.
• Ghana , Liberia, Nigeria, Angola, Malawi: In June 2007, Merck donated 10,000 doses of its hepatitis B vaccine to Project HOPE for a joint humanitarian mission with the U.S. Navy. The vaccine was administered to at-risk populations in Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Angola and Malawi.
• Vietnam , Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, the Marshall Islands: In May 2007, Merck donated 2,500 doses of its pneumococcal vaccine to Project HOPE for a joint humanitarian mission with the U.S. Navy to Southeast Asia. The vaccine was administered to at-risk populations in Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and the Marshall Islands.
• Macedoniaand Tajikistan: In April 2007, Merck donated more than 43,000 doses of its hepatitis B vaccine to Project HOPE for use in Macedonia and Tajikistan. In both countries, the vaccines were administered to health workers.
• Sri Lanka: In April 2007, Merck provided 5,400 doses of its pneumococcal vaccine to AmeriCares. The vaccines were administered to at-risk populations in hospitals in Colombo.
• Uganda: In 2007, Merck donated ZOCOR^® to Direct Relief International for Uganda. Direct Relief International works in partnership with The Rugendebara Foundation for Health, which operates a 25-bed health clinic in western Uganda serving a community of approximately 90,000 people.  Staffed by one doctor, 10 nurses, eight community health workers and three laboratory technicians, the Foundation provides primary health care, family planning, immunizations and minor emergency care to approximately 7,500 in-patients and 8,000 out-patients each year.

Conducting Ourselves Ethically and Transparently

• Mexico: With support from MSD Mexico, the Instituto Panamericano de Alta Dirección de Empresa (Pan American Institute of Top Management) conducted research and developed five cases studies to educate Mexican business executives about ethical business practices. With the goal of increasing knowledge around ethical business practices, the case studies were also used to teach business students at the Pan American Institute of Top Management.
• Mexico: In 2008, together with local suppliers, MSD Mexico launched the "Transparent Suppliers Network," a program designed to share the Company's ethical business practices and Code of Conduct with local suppliers. Through this project, which normally involves two months of mentoring and training per supplier, Merck helps key suppliers develop their own code of conduct and compliance programs.
• South Africa: Launched in November 2000 with support from The Merck Company Foundation, the Ethics Institute of South Africa (EthicSA) is managed by a world-renowned ethicist, with oversight by a distinguished Board of Directors with members from academe, business and the health sector. In its first 18 months, EthicSA conducted a survey of doctors' business practices and an ethics audit of a major public hospital, wrote general ethical guidelines for doctors, made numerous presentations and published papers internationally. Early in 2002, EthicSA completed its strategic business plan for the next phase of development: 2003-2007.
• Colombia: Launched in Bogota in 2001, Transparencia por Colombia began as a joint venture between The Merck Company Foundation, Fundación Corona and Transparency International Colombia. The center is currently engaged in developing ethics programs for larger domestic enterprises, small and medium companies and trade associations; and a business ethics curriculum for a consortium of universities focusing on contemporary challenges in Colombia.
• Korea: Since 2001, the Young Schweitzer Program has worked to encourage ethical practices among young medical professionals. A partnership between MSD Korea, Korean Doctor's Weekly and the Korean Society for Medical Ethical Education, the program recognizes interns and medical students who demonstrate outstanding public service and scientific research through the Young Schweitzer Awards.  Another program component, The Young Schweitzer Academy, provides medical students with the opportunity to explore extracurricular education courses in medical ethics until 2006. Since the program began, approximately 1,000medical students from more than 30 universitieshave attended the Academy. Since 2001, MSD has provided nearly $ 1 million in support of the Young Schweitzer Program. During this time, the number of medical universities in Korea that have adopted medical ethics courses into their curriculum has risen from 12 to 40. 
• Argentina: MSD Argentina partnered with the U.S. Embassy and the Catholic University of Buenos Aires to promote ethical and transparent business practices through "International Rules Against Corruption," a certificate program for government officials. MSD Argentina also supports the Center for Implementation of Public Policies for Equity and Growth, a nonprofit organization that promotes public policy in education, health, justice, transparency and taxation.
• Spain: Designed to encourage research and discussion of corporate responsibility issues, the MSD Award for Research in Business Ethics is the first European initiative of its kind. Established by MSD Spain in 2001, the program seeks to raise awareness of the role of ethics in business and recognize best practices. The award's first call for submissions generated 16 research studies from across various sectors, including hospitals, business schools, nongovernmental organizations and universities. In the latest call for submissions, 15 studies were submitted, most of them from highly regarded entities and business schools, including some from outside of Spain.

Managing Our Environmental Footprint

• Puerto Rico: In Puerto Rico, a two-year Champions for the Environment project between 2004 and 2006 designed and produced a pollution prevention and natural resource conservation curriculum for 4^th, 5^th and 6th graders.  An environmental video and teacher's guide, along with supplemental materials, was made part of the science curriculum at 1,100 schools (100,000 students), and won both U.S. EPA and Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board awards.
• United States (Pennsylvania): As part of the 2008 West Point Earth Day Celebration, hundreds of Merck employees participated in a creative way to reuse and recycle their sneakers. Merck employees donated more than 2,600 pounds of sneakers to Nike's "Reuse-A-Shoe" program. 
• Japan: In 2006, Merck employees from our manufacturing site in Menuma, Japan, participated in an environmental training program, "Keep Our River Clean," for the children of Nagai Elementary School in Kumagaya City. Employees explained how waste water is treated at the Menuma plant. Children had an opportunity to check the turbidity of waste water and other environmental factors by using test kits with the help of the Merck volunteers.
• United Kingdom: To help make employees aware of the effects climate change has both locally and globally, in 2007 and 2008, Merck's subsidiary in the United Kingdom, MSD UK, hosted and pledged support to World Environment Day. World Environment Day, commemorated annually, is one of the primary tools through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action.  MSD established an internal website to promote the day to encourage employees to pledge support as well as to track MSD's contributions. On World Environment Day itself, events were held at MSD's facility with videos, online carbon footprint calculations, experiments and competitions to emphasize the effects of climate change.  As a result, employees started to ask questions and generated suggestions about how the site could do more to tackle climate change.
• United States (New Jersey): In 2007, Merck partnered with Hunterdon County, N. J., and the N.J. Association of Hazardous Waste Coordinators to improve the efficiency of the county's Hazardous Waste Cleanup Program through the application of Merck's lean thinking process improvement expertise. Prior to the initiative, residents in Hunterdon County often waited in line for up to two hours to drop off hazardous waste. Long waits discouraged participation, increasing the risk of improper disposal of hazardous materials -- placing both the environment and the sanitation workers at risk.  The project improved the efficiency of the Hazardous Waste Cleanup Program by changing the configuration of how cars enter and exit the unloading area and significantly reducing the waiting time. 
• United States (Pennsylvania): In 2006, employees at our Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, facility worked with the Schulykill Center for Environmental Education in Philadelphia on the Penn's Native Acres project to plant thousands of native plants on 15 acres of preserved forest and wetlands. In 2007, Merck employees returned to the site to plant another 2,500 shrubs and plants. The Schulykill Center is the only public education venue that features a complete, living collection of habitat and plant species indigenous to Southeastern Pennsylvania.
• Mexico: In 2007, our employees at our facility in Mexico worked with community volunteers and local regulators to collect and recycle batteries in an effort to reduce the environmental impact of sending batteries to landfills.  In México, it is estimated that in the past seven years, 36,000 tons of waste batteries were generated.  Merck employees worked together with the local program "Responsible Battery Management" regulated by the Environmental Agency of the Federal District to collect batteries from containers that were located around Coyoacan Delegation.  The batteries were then sent to a dedicated vendor for recycling. 
• United Kingdom: In 2006, a group from our subsidiary in the United Kingdom designed and constructed the Westfield Wildlife Garden with a Champions for the Environment grant.  The project sought to encourage interest in science and nature among children and promote respect for the local environment. The garden, opened in 2006, was designed to appeal to the senses and attract birds, bees and insects through vegetation.
• United Kingdom: In 2007, a Champions for the Environment project, run by Merck's manufacturing site in Cramlington, was run to develop management plans for Druridge Bay, a coastal area in Northumberland. MSD volunteers worked with scientists from Dove Marine Laboratory, as well as staff from Northumberland Wildlife Trust and the National Trust and students from The King Edward VI School, Morpeth. The project included invertebrate surveys of the saline coastal lagoons, bird surveys, looked at the distribution and abundance of the variety of floral life and terrestrial insects within the dunes, assessed litter loads within the dunes, planted marram grass and looked at other anti-erosion measures and built a new bird hide for bird enthusiasts who visit the area regularly.
• Singapore: In 2006, Merck employees in Singapore worked with St. Anthony's Primary School to create a positive learning climate where students and teachers were involved in caring for and protecting the environment. Activities included irrigating the school's pond garden, installing a solar-powered water-wheel, conducting an environmental talk for students, organizing an excursion to view coral reefs for teachers, and promoting recycling activities.
• Spain: MSD Spain is supporting an environmental educational training program in the Alcala region.
• United States (Pennsylvania): Merck is supporting the Stream Bank Restoration Project, which will serve as a community sensory garden. The project will use primarily native plants to create habitat for birds, butterflies and small mammals.
• Costa Rica: MSD is supporting the San Rafael Ambiantal project to turn Monte de la Cruz, Costa Rica, into an open center of environmental education for children and adults. The project includes a workshop designed to help slow the deterioration of the environment and help in its restoration.
• United States (North Carolina): Merck is supporting the Treyburn Area Environmental Stewardship Project to help preserve land in Treyburn, North Carolina, by conducing biological inventories, creating management plans marking boundaries and posting signage.
• Hangzhou, China: MSD China is supporting the "Green Olympic, Green Race" together with the non-profit organization Green Zhekiang. The project will include a series of activities on the topic of building a green community.
• United Kingdom:  In 2008, in the United Kingdom Merck is supporting a conservation management project that will include cutting down diseased trees and replanting new varieties of trees, which will protect the biodiversity and rare species found in the wooded areas.
• Japan: In Japan, Merck is supporting the Stop Global Warming by Energy Saving Program, which seeks to educate children about the importance of energy saving.
• New Zealand: In 2008, MSD New Zealand is supporting Operations Glenfern. Through Operations Glenfern, employees traveled to the Great Barrier Island to reforest the valley ecosystem with a variety of native plants; build a plant nursery; control pests to allow native flora and fauna to flourish; construct a low-ropes confidence course for students; and established an environment to support endangered and native species within the Glenfern Sanctuary.
• United States (Puerto Rico): In Puerto Rico through the Champions for the Environment program, since 2004, Merck has produced two educational videos with teacher guides and distributed them to more 2,000 (100%) elementary and middle public schools. These materials have been widely used to train teachers and teach students on preservation of air, water and soil resources.
• United States (New Jersey): Employees from Merck's Rahway, New Jersey site are supporting two neighborhood biodiversity projects. One involves the management and maintenance of a butterfly garden with local youths along the Rahway River, while the second seeks to create a nature observation, native plant garden, bird watching and environmental education program at Hanson Park in Cranford, New Jersey.
• Singapore:Merck employees are working with school children to raise environmental awareness and help them acquire new perspectives, knowledge and skills in dealing with environmental issues.
• United States (Pennsylvania): Merck addressed concerns for the Lorraine Run, a tributary of the Wissahickon Creek, by removing and spraying two small areas of phragmites that threaten the marsh. Merck volunteers also planted native plant life to improve the edges of the spring-fed pond.
• United States(Pennsylvania): Merck helped to establish a self-guided environmental farming interpretive trail at the Farm Educational Center in Horsham, Pennsylvania, and to develop an investigational science kit for school children to use during field trips.
• United States(New Jersey): Merck employees worked to prevent, manage and eradicate invasive plants through the Highlands-Piedmont Cooperative Weed Management Project, and to increase public awareness of the adverse impact of invasive and noxious plants.

Supporting our Local Communities

• Turkey: In every society, physically and mentally handicapped citizens face particular obstacles, such as difficulties in getting a job, gaining social acceptance, navigating sidewalks and transportation, and attaining an education. MSD Turkey has made a conscious choice to identify and employ disabled citizens and has set as a priority the integration of these citizens into business life. MSD Turkey found a unique opportunity to make a positive difference for these citizens living in city neighborhoods. Together with five local partner organizations, program trainees complete a training program that enables them to acquire skills in communications, computing, personal confidence and physical negotiation of barriers, helping them to be more attractive job candidates and enhance their prospects for finding a rewarding occupation.
• Australia: Distance and remoteness present challenges for health policy makers in Australia. In 1992, in recognition of the health disadvantages suffered by rural Australians, MSD Australia established the Rural Health Education Foundation. What began in 1992 as a MSD-funded pilot study with six satellite-receiving sites in rural Australia is now an independent, charitable, not-for-profit organization with more than 650 satellite sites. The Foundation uses the satellite television network and the internet to provide interactive, distance education for doctors and other health professionals in remote areas. This approach has had the effect of shrinking the vast distances of rural Australia, helping rural health professionals keep their skills up to date without having to leave their families, their clients, and the communities that rely on them. The Foundation, described as "an education lifeline to the bush," has improved the health and wellbeing of rural and remote Australians from Thursday Island to South East Tasmanian, and from Norfolk Island to the Indian Ocean. The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing supports the Rural Health Education Foundation through a variety of program-specific and rural health workforce development grants.
• Italy: In 2002, under the patronage of the President of the Republic, MSD Italy partnered with local organizations to initiate the "Safe Schools Campaign." The campaign promotes safety through buildings and infrastructures, ethical behavior and healthy environments. The campaign, carried out at the regional and local level by the territorial branches of Cittadinanzattiva (Active Citizenship), which promotes civic participation and protection of citizens’ rights in Italy and in Europe, works to raise awareness of major problems in urgent need of intervention and of "safety-oriented behaviors" among teachers, parents, students, school managers and all citizens who want to promote the "right" for a safe school.
• Argentina: "Talentos para la Vida" is an international foundation that promotes the achievements of young people through educational programs in primary and secondary schools and universities throughout the country. With financial support from MSD Argentina, Talentos para la Vida developed cultural, social and sports skills programs. One example is "XXI: El Siglo de la Higiene para la Salud" (XXI: The Century of the Hygiene for Health"), which promotes awareness about the importance of health care and preventive medicine.
• Israel: Since 2007, MSD Israel has partnered with “Yad Sarah,” an Israeli volunteerorganization that focuses on improving the quality of life for the elderly, disabled and sick, to help support employee volunteer efforts.  To accommodate MSD employees’ preferences, Yad Sarah and MSD established three channels for the program’s volunteer work:
  • The Medical Channel—MSD representatives donate their personal time to visit physicians to explain the services provided by Yad Sarah.  Physicians, in turn, tell their patients about these services.
  • The Training Channel—MSD volunteers provide training to Yad Sarah staff and volunteers in a variety of skills, including computer literacy and presentation preparation.
  • The Community Channel—Through a nationwide network of Yad Sarah centers, MSD volunteers provide several services, including the installation of panic alarms in the homes of the elderly.  The alarms are connected to a call center in Yad Sarah that dispatches help in emergency situations. For 18 months following the launch, more than 50 percent of MSD Israel’s employees participate and volunteer in the Yad Sarah-MSD Israel partnership on an ongoing basis.
• The Netherlands: In 2004, in celebration of its 50^th anniversary, MSD The Netherlandslaunched the "Getting Better Together" program for the local community, better known in Dutch as "Handen uit de Mouwen." Each year, during the last two weeks of September, more than 200 MSD employees volunteer to work a day for a local project. There are eight different initiatives that have been "adopted" by MSD in The Netherlands including organizing a day for underprivileged children, planting a new garden for an elderly people's home and cooking meals for homeless people.  The program is now in its fifth year.
• Malaysia: In 2006, MSD Malaysia launched "Lend-A-Hand," a community outreach program that encourages MSD Malaysia employees to give back to society.  Two Fridays a year are set aside to provide employees an opportunity to participate in a Company-planned community day activity, to establish long-term commitments with charitable organizations, and to make a difference in the lives of the less privileged. Since 2006, MSD Malaysia has offered support to more than 15 charitable organizations through the program, including orphanages, senior centers and homes for handicapped communities.
• United States: In 2006, Merck launched MerckVolunteers, a resource that helps U.S. employees identify volunteer opportunities in their communities and connects them to organizations that need their help. Merck is partnering with VolunteerMatch, a non-profit web service, to provide employees with a customized, easy-to-use resource that can help them search for meaningful volunteer opportunities by area of interest, location or organization. MerckVolunteers also has a "Dollars for Doers" component that enables volunteers to apply for matching grants from The Merck Company Foundation for hours they have volunteered at eligible organizations.
• United States (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts): Through The Merck Institute of Science, Merck volunteers support teachers in the classroom, and students through electronic mentoring, offering a view of the real-world applications of science and mathematics. During the past 10 years, approximately 7,000 Merck employees have shared their time with students and teachers in their communities.
• United States (New Jersey and Pennsylvania)– Merck Pro Bono Legal Program: This nationally recognized program began in 1994 when a small group of Merck attorneys and support staff piloted a program to assist low-income individuals in obtaining free legal services. Today, the program has expanded to include nearly 100 attorneys, paralegals, and administrative associates who provide pro bono legal services to residents of New Jersey and Pennsylvania who cannot otherwise afford legal representation.  Merck is currently handling pro bono cases with our partners at Legal Services of New Jersey, Central Jersey Legal Services, Legal Services of Northwest Jersey, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice and Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania in the areas of guardianship, landlord/tenant, bankruptcy, family law, domestic violence, military veteran benefits, social security disability benefits and special education law. We also are working with our colleagues at the Pro Bono Partnership to represent qualifying non-profit organizations in New Jersey. Since the program began, Merck legal professionals have devoted thousands of hours and handled hundreds of cases to provide equal justice to those in need throughout our communities. In 2006, Merck also became the first corporation in New Jersey to partner with Street Law to encourage students from inner city high schools with diverse backgrounds to consider opportunities in the legal profession. 
• Philippines: MSD Philippines is working with Gawad Kalinga (GK) (“to give care”), a not-for-profit organization that addresses poverty in the Philippines, to foster employee volunteerism and bring hope to the local community. GK's vision for the Philippines is to be a slum-free, squatter-free nation through a simple strategy of providing land for the landless, homes for the homeless and food for the hungry and, as a result, providing dignity and peace for every Filipino. MSD Philippines has adopted GK Pinagsama Village in Taguig City, near MSD's offices.  GK Pinagsama provides homes for about 110 families. MSD employees are helping to finish and paint the houses, improve the surroundings through planting mini gardens, laying pavers for pathways, and introducing the importance of reading to preschool children.
• New Zealand:  In June 2006, volunteers from MSD New Zealand traveled to Fiji to make a tangible difference in the community's quality of life on various projects:
  • Lautoka Special School and Hostel for Disabled Children:  Employees helped to address a major security issue at the school by constructing a secure perimeter fence and improving the physical environment by painting, clearing gutters, painting murals and completing a number of miscellaneous repair and maintenance jobs.
  • Koroipita Model Village (Rotary Partnership): Employees helped to construct new basic housing for homeless Fijians, enabling self-sufficiency and a better standard of living. Their efforts included construction of doors and windows, retaining walls and manually clearing storm water channels and creeks.
  • Ba Disabled Children's Home: Employees performed general maintenance, cleaning and painting to improve the physical environment for disabled children and sisters running the home. 
• United States (Pennsylvania): The Giant Heart at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia is the focal point of an interactive exhibit that highlights human anatomy, physiology, health and wellness. A $2 million grant through Merck's Neighbor of Choice program helped to renovate the heart and fund the new exhibit.
• United States (New Jersey): For many years, Merck's Neighbor of Choice program has recognized the importance of school programs that introduce children to the performing arts. Based on this input, Merck awarded funding to classicalguitarists and university professors Laura Oltman and Michael Newman known locally in New Jersey as "The Guitar Duo." With support through Merck's Neighbor of Choice program, the Duo started a program in which they work with teachers at local schools in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, to use music as a way of helping children understand math, science, geography and other subjects.
• United States (Puerto Rico): In partnership with Merck’s Neighbor of Choice program, the Merck Childhood Asthma Network (MCAN) held a community outreach event on asthma in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 2007. The event included asthma education training for school nurses in the Arecibo and Bayamon regions of the island.  Throughout 2007, and into 2008, MCAN continues to provide ongoing mentoring and follow-up support on asthma education services in Puerto Rico, which has the highest incidence of pediatric asthma in the United States.
• United States (Harrisonburg, Virginia): In partnership with Merck's Neighbor of Choice program, the Merck Childhood Asthma Network (MCAN) conducted an in-service training with approximately 40 local nurses from schools, clinics and private offices at Rockingham Memorial Hospital in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in 2007.  They presented an overview of asthma, current trends in asthma management, managing asthma in schools and an interactive session on asthma management devices. The participants received a number of resources including the Starlight/Starbright Asthma Tool Kit for Schools. MCAN is continuing this initiative in 2008.
• Spain:  With funding from Merck's Neighbor of Choice program, the Rainbow Foundation (Fundación Arco Iris), a social and economic growth initiative in Alcalá de Henares, Spain, employs people with disabilities at a center that specializes in the packaging of diverse goods. As part of the project, MSD Spain is contributing a cellophane banding machine and other equipment, installing an assembly line and helping to start up the operation.
• United Kingdom (Cramlington): Through the Neighbor of Choice program, Merck's facility in Cramlington, U.K., has supported the MSD Mobile Planetarium, which delivers interactive astronomy workshops to school-age students across Northumberland county. With the aim of increasing the knowledge that students have of the solar system and improving students' general appreciation for science, the Mobile Planetarium compliments the National School Curriculum. 
• South Africa:  Through Merck's Neighbor of Choice program, MSD South Africa is helping the Botshabelo Foster Care Project continue to provide shelter and education for children orphaned as a result of HIV and AIDS.
• Mexico: Through the Neighbor of Choice program, Merck employees and parents of children at three public schools near Merck's plant site—a kindergarten, an elementary school and a special education school—are working together to paint the schools, repair play areas and classrooms, and install handrails to improve safety. 
• Ireland: Through the Neighbor of Choice program, Merck's facility in Ballydine, Ireland, is underwriting a portion of the renovation cost of a community center and social club that serves a rural area and is one of the few social outlets that community members have. The social club is located in a 110-year-old schoolhouse that is in need of significant repair.
• United States (Pennsylvania): In collaboration with the Montgomery County Health and Human Services Department and other partners, Merck's West Point, Pennsylvania facility supported an assessment of the health and social services needs of Montgomery County residents. The objective of the project was to pinpoint needs in various areas of the County and evaluate approaches to addressing those needs. The assessment found three main geographic areas of the county to be the neediest: Pottstown, Norristown and Lansdale. The immediate priorities were (1) advocacy and management leadership to drive systems improvement; (2) access to services that meet the complex needs of the region’s most vulnerable residents, minorities, the chronically ill and disabled, including early childhood services and health care for the uninsured and underinsured; and (3) infrastructure to support these priorities: affordable housing, fluoridation, information, transportation, and workforce investment.
• United States (Maryland): Merck provided funding through a public/private partnership for the initial construction of The Children's Inn at the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, the world's premier biomedical research center. The Inn opened in 1990, and provides a "home away from home" for seriously ill children undergoing treatment at any one of 13 NIH Institutes and their families. Merck provided additional funding for the Inn's expansion in 2004, and, in 2005, with financial support from The Merck Company Foundation, the NIH opened the Edmond J. Safra Family Lodge on its campus to offer a temporary residence for families and loved ones of adult patients who are receiving care at the NIH Clinical Center.
• United States (New Jersey): The Merck Company Foundation supports arts education a the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark, New Jersey, an initiative that provides tens of thousands of local children, particularly those who are traditionally underserved by the arts, with enriching opportunities to learn, share and achieve. The Foundation invests $100,000 annually to help support NJPAC's 26 arts education programs.
• Puerto Rico: Merck Sharp & Dohme's operations in Puerto Rico was a founding partner in The Center of Excellence for Advance Technology (CEAT), a recently created educational institution that grants associate degrees and professional certifications in the areas related to pharmaceutical and biotechnology operations. MSD chairs the CEAT Executive Board, which also includes representatives from other pharmaceutical and biotech companies in Puerto Rico, as well as the Barceloneta Municipality and academic representatives. MSD has helped lead the design of the CEAT curriculum to reflect industry needs to enhance Puerto Rico's highly skilled resources with updated knowledge in manufacturing operations, good manufacturing practices, health and safety standards, general business and finance concepts, plant instrumentation, and effective communications, as well as basis science and statistics concepts. MSD also helped furnish three science laboratories at CEAT. More than 200 students are now enrolled in the program.
• United States (Puerto Rico): In Puerto Rico, MSD recently launched the campaign, "Nostotros lo logramos; Tú también puedes!" ("We achieved it, so can you!"), a program that seeks to increase the retention of high school students in the North Region of the island. MSD employees offer motivational talks at the schools from which they graduated, sharing the experiences and challenges they each faced as students and how they confronted and met the challenges to become a professional now working for global pharmaceutical company. Students with special needs were also selected to participate in a mentorship program to help improve their academic performance and interest in continuing their education.

Supporting Science Education

• United States (Puerto Rico):  Since 2006, Merck Sharp & Dohme's Operations in Puerto Rico has championed the Science Fair for the North Region. Participation in the science fair has increased from 6 projects to more than 110 from students in kindergarten through 12th grade. MSD provides resources for the awards ceremony including a monetary contribution for the student winners and for the enrichment of their school's science laboratories, and hosts a one-week exhibit of all participating projects at its manufacturing site. MSD employees and other professional resources identified by the Puerto Rico Department of Education (DEPR) evaluate student projects. MSD also maintains a scholarship program for high school students pursing college degrees in natural and environmental sciences. Each year, together with the DEPR, Merck grants $20,000 in scholarships to selected students.
• United Kingdom: In June2007, for the second year running, John Warner A-level chemistry students visited MSD United Kingdom for a tour of the laboratories to help inspire careers in chemistry. In 2006, in an effort to encourage children to learn about science and provide teachers with an innovative tool that easily could be incorporated into lesson plans, MSD United Kingdom initiated a primary schools digital microscopes donation and training program for local primary schools. The program was implemented in coordination with Setpoint Herts, an educational charity that aims to inspire young people about science, engineering and technology.  Following the success of the program, MSD extended the project into 2007 and 2008.
• United States (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts):  In 1993, Merck made a long-term commitment to improve science teaching in U. S. public schools with the establishment of the Merck Institute for Science Education (MISE).  This step was motivated by a deep concern about the quality of science instruction and the desire for a more focused, proactive approach to education reform.  Funded through a $38 million commitment from The Merck Company Foundation, MISE has worked to improve science education and raise the levels of science performance for students from kindergarten through 12th grade for the past 15 years. MISE takes a long-term, systemic approach to science education reform, which focuses primarily on professional development to enhance the knowledge and skills of educators. MISE activities are focused on seven school districts near Merck facilities in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
• United States: African-Americans currently hold fewer than 2 percent of PhDs in biology and chemistry. To help address this imbalance, Merck joined in 1995 with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to establish the UNCF/Merck Science Initiative with a $20 million grant from The Merck Company Foundation/Merck. This ground-breaking program seeks to expand the pool of world-class African-American biomedical scientists and in so doing, to achieve the complementary goal of enhancing economic competitiveness in the United States. In 2005, The Merck Company Foundation/Merck announced a five-year renewal of our commitment to UNCF with a $13 million grant. To date, 479 recipients at more than 170 institutions have received fellowships.
• United States(Texas, California, New Jersey): Working with the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, Merck launched the Alliance/Merck Ciencia Hispanic Scholars Program (PDF* 56KB) in 2008 to improve the ability of Hispanic students in the United States to achieve access to higher education and pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers. The Merck Company Foundation committed $4 million in funding over five years. During the next five years, the program will provide 50 promising Hispanic high school students from Brownsville, Texas; Elizabeth, New Jersey; and Los Angeles, California with $42,500 each in college scholarships and internship support to pursue degrees in STEM areas. In addition, 125 Hispanic college students nationwide will each receive $2,000 scholarships.
• United States: More than 130 physicians have received The American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF)/Merck Adult Cardiology Research Fellowship Awards since the program began in 1981. Each year, six cardiology trainees who show exceptional promise as future leaders in cardiovascular medicine are named "Merck Fellows of the American College of Cardiology." Award recipients are selected by the Research Awards Committee of the American College of Cardiology Foundation based on the scientific merits of their proposals, the commitment of their faculty mentors and the reputation of their research labs.
• United States: Merck plays a leadership role in industry efforts to increase African-American, American Indian and Latino representation in engineering through the Company's support of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME), the largest U.S. private source of scholarships for minorities in engineering. Created in 1974 to address concern about under-representation of minorities in engineering and science-based careers, NACME has provided more than $100 million in financial support to more than 18,000 students at 160 colleges and universities.
• United States: Merck established The Merck Index Women in Chemistry Scholarships in 2007 to encourage women to pursue advanced degrees in synthetic organic or medicinal chemistry. Merck presents up to five annual scholarships of $5,000 each to outstanding women chemists who are beginning their first year of study in a chemistry Ph.D. program. The awards are administered by the editorial staff of The Merck Index, Chemistry's Constant Companion^®, which was first published in 1899.
• Thailand:  In 2006, the Merck Institute for Science Education (MISE) launched its first international program in the tsunami-ravaged areas of Thailand, in conjunction with MSD Thailand, the Kenan Institute Asia, and the Thai Ministry of Education.  Known as the Inquiry-based Science and Technology Education Program (IN-STEP) and launched in Phang-nga with a $500,000 commitment from Merck, the three-year initiative seeks to improve student performance in science through inquiry-based learning, and to develop a proven model for the Ministry of Education to replicate nationwide.