Merck Medical Outreach Program
Now in its 50th year, the Merck Medical Outreach Program is the primary mechanism through which Merck donates its pharmaceuticals and vaccines to a selected group of qualified, US-based, private voluntary organizations (PVOs) for use in the developing world and in support of disaster relief and emergency situations worldwide.
Merck partners with select, qualified PVOs to deliver medicines to people in need in the developing world. (Photo: Project HOPE)
Primary recipients of donated Merck medicines and vaccines include AmeriCares, Catholic Medical Mission Board, Direct Relief International, Interchurch Medical Assistance, MAP International and Project HOPE.
In 2007, Merck donated $125 million (an increase of 147 percent over 2006) worth of medicines and vaccines through well-established partnerships to help patients throughout the developing world. These donations supported sustained chronic-care health programs in Central Asia; enabled immunization programs in Central and Southeast Asia; provided disaster assistance in Peru, Nicaragua and North Korea; and reached many thousands more worldwide through the ongoing medical programs of our partner PVOs.
In addition, Merck donated $480 million worth of MECTIZAN® (ivermectin) for the treatment of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis (LF) through the Merck MECTIZAN Donation Program. The total value of medical donations through the MMOP in 2007 was $605 million, an increase of 34 percent over 2006.
Partnership for Quality Medical Donations (PQMD)
Merck is also a founding member of The Partnership for Quality Medical Donations (PQMD), an alliance of private voluntary organizations and medical product manufacturers dedicated to raising standards of medical donations to meet the needs of underserved populations and disaster victims around the world. Information about PQMD and the activities of its members can be found at www.pqmd.org.
To view other examples of how Merck is working across sectors to improve health in the developing world, click on the links below:
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