Novartis Africa Day highlights company's efforts to expand access to healthcare
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Novartis Africa Day highlights company's efforts to expand access to healthcare
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* Africa's healthcare challenges are compounded as it begins to face a dual
disease burden as non-communicable diseases rise
* In addition to existing corporate responsibility efforts such as its Malaria
Initiative, Novartis is implementing innovative commercial models, utilizing
new technologies and increasing healthcare education and training
* African countries seen as the next set of fast growing markets as middle
class projected to grow substantially
Basel, December 5, 2013 - Today, Novartis senior executives gather in Basel,
Switzerland for the first-ever Novartis Africa Day, to review the company's
innovative work in Africa, including growing commercial activity, novel
approaches to expand access to high-quality, affordable medicines, local talent
development and the company's Malaria Initiative.
"Novartis is taking an outcomes approach, looking beyond therapeutic solutions
to a focus on new technologies, new commercial models, education and training,"
says Joseph Jimenez, Chief Executive Officer of Novartis, who will open the
event. "As the continent increasingly grapples with the dual healthcare burden
of communicable and non-communicable diseases, we believe we can make a
significant difference in improving lives as the demand for healthcare rises."
Africa faces immense challenges in its efforts to provide adequate healthcare to
its people. The continent is home to one-seventh of the world's population,
shoulders one-quarter of the global disease burden, but it has only two percent
of the world's doctors and less than one percent of global health
expenditure[1]. Life expectancy is 15 years less than the global average[2].
Africa is also at a turning point as it begins to be challenged by a dual
disease burden - both communicable diseases that have historically plagued the
continent, such as malaria, and non-communicable diseases that are on the rise
due to lifestyle changes, such as diabetes. Low levels of disease awareness,
declining infrastructure and poor distribution channels further compound
Africa's problems.
Novartis employs a range of activities on the African continent with the aim of
becoming the leading healthcare company in Africa. Programs to be discussed at
today's event include Sandoz Health Shops in Zambia, the Novartis Malaria
Initiative and SMS for Life. Sandoz Health Shops have the potential to reach
more than 2.5 million patients over the next four years. The Novartis Malaria
Initiative has provided more than 600 million antimalarial treatments, without
profit, to more than 60 malaria-endemic countries. In addition, SMS for Life has
reduced wait times and stock-outs for antimalarial medicines from three months
to a few days and from 79% to less than 26% in three districts in Tanzania.
To learn more about Novartis' continued efforts in Africa, please visit
Novartis.com.
Disclaimer
This press release contains expressed or implied forward-looking statements,
including statements that can be identified by terminology such as "aim,"
"potential," or similar expressions, or by express or implied discussions
regarding potential future revenues from sales in Africa. Such forward-looking
statements reflect the current views of the Group regarding future events, and
involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause
actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or
implied by such statements. There can be no guarantee that Novartis' efforts in
Africa will be commercially successful in the future. In particular,
management's expectations could be affected by, among other things, risks and
factors referred to in the Risk Factors section of Novartis AG's current Form
20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is
providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not
undertake any obligation to update it in the future.
About Novartis
Novartis provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving
needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis
offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines,
eye care, cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals, preventive vaccines and
diagnostic tools, over-the-counter and animal health products. Novartis is the
only global company with leading positions in these areas. In 2012, the Group
achieved net sales of USD 56.7 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted
to approximately USD 9.3 billion (USD 9.1 billion excluding impairment and
amortization charges). Novartis Group companies employ approximately 133,000
full-time equivalent associates and operate in more than 140 countries around
the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com.
Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow (at)Novartis at
http://twitter.com/novartis.
References
[1] WHO. "Global Health Observatory".
[2] WHO. "Global Health Observatory".
# # #
Novartis Media Relations
Central media line : +41 61 324 2200
Eric Althoff Beth Calitri
Novartis Global Media Relations Novartis Global Media Relations
+41 61 324 7999 (direct) +41 61 324 7973 (direct)
+41 79 593 4202 (mobile) +41 79 523 0198 (mobile)
eric.althoff(at)novartis.com beth.calitri(at)novartis.com
e-mail: media.relations(at)novartis.com
For Novartis multimedia content, please visit www.thenewsmarket.com/Novartis
For questions about the site or required registration, please contact:
journalisthelp(at)thenewsmarket.com.
Novartis Investor Relations
Central phone: |+41 61 324 7944 | |
----------------------+-----------------+--------------+----------------------
Samir Shah |+41 61 324 7944 |North America:|
----------------------+-----------------+--------------+----------------------
Pierre-Michel Bringer|+41 61 324 1065 |Stephen Rubino|+1 862 778 8301
----------------------+-----------------+--------------+----------------------
Thomas Hungerbuehler |+41 61 324 8425 |Jill Pozarek |+1 212 830 2445
----------------------+-----------------+--------------+----------------------
Isabella Zinck |+41 61 324 7188 |Susan Donofrio|+1 862 778 9257
----------------------+-----------------+--------------+----------------------
| | |
----------------------+-----------------+--------------+----------------------
e-mail: investor.relations(at)novartis.com|e-mail:
|investor.relations(at)novartis.com
Media release (PDF):
http://hugin.info/134323/R/1747881/588606.pdf
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Source: Novartis International AG via GlobeNewswire
[HUG#1747881]
Unternehmensinformation / Kurzprofil:
Datum: 05.12.2013 - 07:15 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 322673
Anzahl Zeichen: 8458
contact information:
Town:
Basel
Kategorie:
Business News
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