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Merck’s Commitment to Caring
Africa is often seen as a continent ravaged by war and unrest – but AIDS currently kills as many as 10 times the number of people in Africa than all the wars combined. Researchers speculate that Asia may be on the brink of a similar, or far worse, epidemic if effective and targeted measures are not quickly implemented.
Merck is building public and private partnerships to try to stem the tide of the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. One major HIV/AIDS initiative in which Merck has taken a leadership role is in the formation of the African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnership (ACHAP), a collaboration among the Republic of Botswana, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Merck and The Merck Company Foundation.
Under this country-led partnership, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Merck Company Foundation are each contributing $50 million to help Botswana act on the HIV/AIDS education, prevention and treatment initiatives that the Republic of Botswana believes are most appropriate for its citizens. Merck is also donating its HIV/AIDS medicines as part of this program.
Much progress has been made to help the people of Botswana since ACHAP’s formation in July 2000. The partnership is supporting a range of programs in Botswana to help strengthen the national response to HIV/AIDS across the entire spectrum of education, prevention, care and treatment.
These include projects to: establish training programs on HIV/AIDS care for physicians, nurses and pharmacists; build coping centers for people living with HIV/AIDS; provide counseling services to support HIV testing; educate students on HIV; and upgrade clinical laboratories.
The ACHAP is just one way in which Merck works with public and private partners to enhance the quality of life for people around the world.
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