GSK in deal with charity to reduce child deaths

GlaxoSmithKline GM for East Africa John Musunga, Global CEO Andrew Witty and Save the Children Global CEO Justin Forsyth after announcing a partnership between the two firms. Photo/DIANA NGILA 

By EVELYN SITUMA
 

 

In Summary

• The deal with Save the Children will see GSK transfer $23 million to the children charity’s account to help it carry out logistical work.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has signed a multi-million-dollar partnership with an international children charity geared at reducing child mortality deaths in Africa by one million.

The deal with Save the Children will see GSK transfer $23 million to the children charity’s account to help it carry out logistical work, including training health workers.

As part of the agreement, Save the Children will also sit at the paediatric R&D (research and development) board of GSK.

GSK will use the charity’s expertise on children affairs to develop life-saving interventions and identify ways to ensure access to healthcare among children below five.

The agreement will see GSK harness its scientific and innovation expertise to offer powdered antibiotics to children under the age of five through greater use of mobile technology solutions.

It will also offer its Corsodyl mouth-wash for cleaning umbilical cord stump in newborns to prevent infection, and fortified foods to children in worse-off areas, under the charity’s watch.

GSK is seeking to supply its successful calcium and protein-based foods locally to help fight malnutrition. This may also see local manufacturers land a deal.

“There is no question that this will be an open book,” said Sir Andrew Witty, GSK chief executive.

GSK will also avail a vaccine for diarrhoea and pneumonia in the North Eastern part of Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

By leveraging mobile technology, parents will receive SMS reminders to take up vaccination services and the firm will provide health workers and facilities with smartphones to allow them record and schedule vaccinations.

Some 1.5 million children die annually from pneumonia. According to a recently released report by Save the Children, the State of the World Mothers, DRC was cited as the worst place on earth to be a mother.

Kenya also surprised many when it ranked 156 out of 176 countries in the world. “We want to work in areas where it is toughest in a way,” said Justin Forsyth, the children charity global executive director.

Kenya’s sorry state of health is attributed to poor pay for medical workers, strained healthcare system and lack of access to water and food for people living in marginalised areas.

Organisations like Save the Children, in the past came out strongly to oppose the GSK business model with regard to HIV/Aids drugs.

According to Mr Forsyth, the children’s charity global executive director, GSK had placed a high price tag on these medications. To enrich its R&D model, GSK sought to plough back 20 per cent of its profits from poor countries as investment in healthcare.