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Faith-based Partnership with the Pharmaceutical Industry. Why are some FBOs comfortable and others uneasy with such partnerships?. Daniel Aukerman IMA World Health. IMA World Health History.
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Faith-based Partnership with the Pharmaceutical Industry Why are some FBOs comfortable and others uneasy with such partnerships? Daniel Aukerman IMA World Health
IMA World Health History • 1960: pharmaceutical companies donating products to church missions overseas requested one central location • Hence, long-standing relationship • Different world today • Many useful, branded drugs off patent • High quality, generics available abroad • Agencies view IMA as a vendor
Pharmaceutical International Health Interests Today: Impressions • Greater savvy about development • Ownership of initiatives • Less “use our medicines as you see fit” • Always aware of public image • Prefer to donate products that have a clear fit into existing programs • Look for significant, large, national level impact
Pfizer:Diflucan Partnership Program • 59 countries in Africa, Asia and Caribbean participating • Over 350,000 patients treated for two HIV-related fungal opportunistic infections, $570m in medicines donated • IMA World Health as Charity Trust
Merck:Mectizan Donation Program • Active Programs in 33 hyper-endemic countries • More than 60 million people treated annually • Close to 500 million treatments since 1987 • More than 1.8 billion tablets donated • Prevents ~40,000 causes of blindness annually • Has contributed to the recovery of more than 60 million acres of previously abandoned arable land • IMA World Health as NGDO partner
Why be uncomfortable? • Secular, for profit vs faith-based, nonprofit • Corporate sector has been criticized for negative effects on health systems for the sake of profit - ?guilt by association? • Is corporate philanthropy genuine or is the focus on public image - ?PR assistance? • Advocacy/Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network critical of corporate partners - ?compromised solidarity?
Why Be Comfortable? • Companies may be more willing to fund faith-based healthcare efforts. • Corporate funding less regulated than government – flexibility in programming. • Excellent, caring people within corporations who want their for-profits to also serve. • Not a perfect world – get help for those in need wherever we can find it.
Principled FBO – Corporate Partnership • Remain true to your own beliefs • Faith, focus on poor, development orientation • Recognize your own worth – add value • Appreciate the benevolence of a corporate donor without condoning all aspects of business operations in other arenas • Affirm whole heartedly the partnership endeavor.