We have learned through our nearly 20 years of experience in the developing world that simple checkbook philanthropy, while important, is not enough. Addressing health and other development challenges often requires a long-term view and a hands-on approach. For this reason, Merck has initiated a number of public-private partnerships to identify and implement effective and sustainable solutions to global health challenges such as HIV/AIDS.
Following are examples of some of our HIV/AIDS partnerships around the world.
Romania: Bringing Children New Hope
Boy in Romania
(Photo: Health Aid Romania)
Since 1997, the Romanian government and Merck & Co., Inc. have worked together to increase access to treatment for thousands of children and adults living with HIV/AIDS in Romania. Through this partnership, the number of patients with access to therapy has increased dramatically.
While in 1997 only about 1.5 percent of treated patients received triple combination antiretroviral (ARV) therapy in accordance with international standards, today the Romanian government has achieved its goal of providing access to ARV therapy to all HIV/AIDS patients in Romania in need of treatment. Today, of the almost 8,000 patients in active monitoring, more than 6,000 are being treated. This represents all patients who need ARV treatment under international guidelines.
This success has been made possible by Romania's strong political commitment to fighting the epidemic, a focus on improving healthcare infrastructure and increasing resource allocation for treatment and care, and its longstanding partnership with Merck, which has supported implementation of the government's national AIDS strategy at every stage of its implementation:
- In 1998, Merck supported the printing and distribution of the country's first national treatment guidelines for HIV/AIDS, which ensured uniformity of treatment standards across the country.
- Merck also facilitated the construction and implementation of a national AIDS database, giving health authorities their first detailed picture of the scope of the disease in Romania.
- In 1999, Merck provided $1 million to the Romanian National AIDS Committee to help establish a network of seven regional AIDS treatment centers containing state-of-the-art equipment.
- In March 2001, Merck unconditionally lowered prices for its current HIV/AIDS medications by 86 percent in Romania.
In November 2002, Merck announced additional contributions to Romania's HIV/AIDS program, including:
- $230,000 to finance the purchase of CD4 tests for all monitored patients for one year;
- $20,000 to set up the national AIDS database within the Ministry of Health; and
- technical assistance in procurement management.
These contributions brought Merck's total support for the Romanian government's HIV/AIDS program to USD $1.5 million by the end of 2002.
Merck-DHL Partnership
Merck and DHL announced an agreement on May 5, 2004, to team up to expand access to critically-needed HIV/AIDS medicines in countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Under this agreement, DHL is currently delivering Merck's HIV/AIDS medicines at cost by air express to designated treatment centers in 35 countries. The partnership combines the core capabilities of the two companies to ensure rapid, secure and flexible supply for the benefit of patients in Africa. The success of the partnership has been such that both companies have since agreed to expand upon the original agreement to help speed deliveries of the medicine MECTIZAN® (ivermectin) to patients in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East for the treatment of two other diseases: river blindness (onchocerciasis) and lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis).
The Enhancing Care Initiative (ECI)
The Enhancing Care Initiative (ECI), a program of the Harvard AIDS Institute and the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center at the Harvard School of Public Health, was launched in 1998 with a five-year, $5 million grant from The Merck Company Foundation. A multisectoral, multinational collaboration, ECI sought to identify practical, country-led approaches to providing effective HIV/AIDS care tailored to local needs and resources. AIDS Care Teams were established in Brazil, Senegal, South Africa and Thailand. A grant from the United States Health Resources and Services Administration supported a fifth team in Puerto Rico.
The country teams worked to develop programs that were appropriate for the communities in which they would be operating. For example:
- In Brazil, the ECI AIDS Care Team's work led to the creation of an integrated health care center in Santos for women living with HIV/AIDS and their children. This center combined traditional women's health services with HIV/AIDS care as well as increased attention to reproductive health.
- In Senegal, the Team identified gaps in the health care infrastructure that limit access to HIV counseling and testing and care, particularly in rural areas. The Team also began developing educational materials to strengthen the training of health care workers.
- Team members in South Africa worked to prepare local health care workers to administer and monitor antiretroviral therapy effectively; training on home-based and palliative HIV/AIDS care was also being provided in areas with limited financial and medical resources.
- In Thailand, Team members promoted community-centered approaches to improving medical care and quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Over the past several years, ECI has helped prove that local capacity to mobilize resources and influence policy agendas according to community needs, combined with the dedicated involvement of local experts, can enhance care even in resource-constrained settings. While 2004 marked the conclusion of ECI as a formal collaboration, many of the programs initiated by the country teams will continue through the support of local and national efforts.
Merck Partnership with USAID and Jamaica AIDS Support
In June 2004, Merck and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a unique partnership with the non-governmental organization Jamaica AIDS Support (JAS) to help fight stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS in Jamaica. Under the terms of the agreement, Merck is contributing USD $40,000 to help the organization carry out much-needed HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention programs. USAID will provide at least USD $140,000 in technical assistance and related program support over the next five years to ensure that JAS programs are sustainable over the long term.
To read about other examples of HIV/AIDS partnerships in which Merck is involved, please see Merck's Commitment to HIV/AIDS
Awards and Recognition
Merck has been widely recognized for our work in the area of HIV/AIDS. Recent awards have included:
To learn more about Merck's commitment to addressing HIV/AIDS, click on the links below:
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