MSD joins global fight to reduce maternal mortality

Last Sept. 20, 2011, Merck Sharp and Dohme President and CEO Ken Frazier addressed the United Nations’ General Assembly and committed to use the global company’s best talents and financial resources to save women’s lives.

Specifically, MSD said it would spend $500 million over the next 10 years, as well as use its scientific and business expertise to deliver life-saving solutions to women, who, despite the advances in medical research and the improvement in medical facilities, continue to die due to pregnancy and childbirth.

The MSD pharmaceutical giant is so far the only private sector company that has pledged to join the battle to save women from pregnancy- and childbirth-related complications and stay in it for the long haul.

Fortunately, the program’s coverage recently expanded to the Philippines.

MSD Philippines’ first foray into maternal health is the Health Leaders for Mothers (HL4M), a maternal healthcare program for indigent pregnant women in partner communities in Quezon City spearheaded by the Kaya Natin! good governance movement, Ateneo School of Government, civic group Sinag-SMDS and Quezon City 3rd District Rep. Jorge “Bolet” Banal Jr.

Under this program, the capacity of the indigent women to respond to their health needs is strengthened through workshops, information dissemination as well as the setting up of health centers where the women can easily go to for prenatal check ups. The program also calls for increased enrolment in the government health insurance system.

MSD managing director Chris Tan told the Inquirer that MSD in the Philippines felt privileged to throw its support behind the HL4M as it believes that helping women help themselves become more aware of their health will contribute to local and global efforts to address maternal mortality.

That the maternal health program is being implemented by what MSD deems as “credible” organizations added to its appeal, with Tan saying that the partnership was made possible through “the efforts of kindred spirits who share with us the same aspiration and passion to help save Filipino mothers from dying.

“We are fortunate to partner with one of the most credible organizations in the country—Kaya Natin. We just don’t share a vision of healthy Filipino mothers. We also share the same advocacy on promoting ethics and integrity. We, at MSD, adhere to the highest level of ethics and integrity. It is one of our core values. Integrity is a must,” he added.

Tan said that HL4M is just the first of hopefully many more projects in the Philippines that would contribute to the global “MSD for Mothers” campaign, which the company says demonstrates that it is both a competitive and a compassionate entity that is motivated by a higher purpose, such as saving women’s lives.

Tan said the phenomenon of women dying during pregnancy or childbirth—or maternal mortality —was “one of the biggest, most confounding health issues,” and that if nothing would be done, more than three million will die from pregnancy or childbirth over the next 10 years.

“[Maternal mortality] is a global challenge identified by the global health community as a priority health issue trending in the wrong direction,” Tan said during the launch of MSD’s partnership with HL4M, “Specifically, reducing maternal mortality by 75 percent is one of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals. Unlike its other goals, the UN has publicly indicated that this goal will not be reached.”

MSD hopes that through programs like the HL4M, the goal would be reached at least in the Philippines.