Release
2022/09/07
OSAKA, Japan, September 7, 2022 - Shionogi & Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Osaka, Japan; Chief Executive Officer: Isao Teshirogi, Ph.D.; hereafter "Shionogi") announced that, at the Rima Ra Pera Health Facility in Kilifi Country, Kenya, medical services with stable power supply have commenced through the installation of a solar power generation system in collaboration with Panasonic Holdings Corporation (Head Office: Osaka; Group CEO: Yuki Kusumi; hereinafter “Panasonic HD”). To support maternal and child healthcare in the Republic of Kenya, Shionogi has started the Mother to Mother SHIONOGI Project in Kilifi County as a second phase project site1, working with World Vision Japan, an international NGO (National Director: Mariko Kinai, hereinafter “WVJ”), since April 2020.
Solar power generation system
Maternity ward with solar panels installed
photo by World Vision Japan
With help from World Vision, Shionogi has been committed to the improvement of maternal and child health in Kenya since 2015 by implementing its Mother to Mother SHIONOGI Project funded by donations from Shionogi and Shionogi Group employees with the aim of supporting maternal and child health. Three health facilities in Kilifi County, Kenya have been supported in the second phase of the project. One of them, the Rima Ra Pera Health Facility, faced an insufficient power supply, causing difficulties in the provision of stable medical services and nighttime medical care. To solve this issue, medical services using a solar power generation system have been realized in collaboration with Panasonic HD’s LIGHT UP THE FUTURE Project. This is the first three-party collaborative commitment for Shionogi, Panasonic HD, and WVJ aimed at addressing the issue of concern: maternal and child health.
Takuko Sawada, Director and Vice Chairman of the Board, Shionogi says:
“In the Rima Ra Pera Health Facility, electricity supply was insufficient; vaccines were stored in unstable gas refrigerators; medical and test devices were not fully utilized; and the medical services offered were limited. We expect that a more reliable power supply due to this collaborative project will enable medical professionals to offer nighttime medical care and nighttime delivery at the facility, to use medical devices on a more stable basis, and to provide necessary medical services to more people.”
Rika Fukuda, General Manager, CSR & Citizenship Department, Panasonic HD explains:
“People living in off-grid areas are suffering various disadvantages with lack of lights and electricity. We heard that medical personnel in the Rima Ra Pera district were unable to store vaccines and offer nighttime medical services due to absence of electricity. We discussed what we could do to help them with our company’s lights and electrical systems. Panasonic HD hopes that this project will improve medical services and maternal and child healthcare in Kenya so that it can create opportunities to being healthy, something which leads to the elimination of poverty, one of the priority objectives of our citizenship activities.”
Mariko Kinai, National Director, World Vision Japan comments:
“The Rima Ra Pera Health Facility was newly built by the Mother to Mother SHIONOGI Project (hereinafter, “M2M Project”). In addition, electricity is now available at this health facility thanks to this collaborative project joined by Panasonic HD. We have already received messages of gratitude from the facility’s personnel, who had to previously rely on flashlights for nighttime care. As a result of awareness building activities regarding nourishment and maternal and child healthcare promoted by the M2M project, we hear reassuring voices directly from mothers in the region saying that the nutritional status of their children has improved. We expect more stable healthcare services will enhance the region’s trust in the health facility, promote more facility visits, and further contribute to the improved health of mothers and children. World Vision Japan will continue working on functional expansion of the health facility in collaboration with the local government.”
Shionogi will continue its commitment to solving issues of maternal and child healthcare with various partners through collective impact,* taking advantage of the strength of individual businesses and NGOs.
* It maximizes the impact of organizations including business enterprises, governments and NGOs/NPOs by their collaborative commitment to solving social issues.
Partners
Shionogi & Co., Ltd.
Shionogi contributes to the interest of patients based on the company policy to “supply the best possible medicine to protect the health and well-being of the patients we serve.” The Company is involved in research and development of new drugs against HIV, influenza, and antibacterial resistance, and currently markets therapeutic drugs in some infectious disease areas such as cefiderocol, a novel siderophore cephalosporin antibacterial drug. We are committed to pursuing R & D activities in major disease areas with significant social needs, focusing on infectious diseases and central nervous system disorders as the core areas. For further information, visit https://www.shionogi.com/global/en/.
Panasonic Holdings Corporation
Since its founding in 1918, the company has been working to “improve and enhance society,” and “advance the culture of the world.” They will continue to create value by confronting social issues head-on with the hope of creating an “ideal society” filled with both material and spiritual wealth.
For details, visit https://holdings.panasonic/global/.
LIGHT UP THE FUTURE Project
https://holdings.panasonic/global/corporate/sustainability/citizenship/solution.html
World Vision Japan
An international NGO engaged in development aid, emergency humanitarian aid, and advocacy (lobbying civil society and the government) based on Christian principles. It is officially recognized by and registered with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and is active in about 100 countries. The Japan office is in Nakano-ku, Tokyo.
For further information, visit https://www.worldvision.jp/info/e-about-wvj.html.
Reference:
1. Press Release on April 1, 2020
A New Maternal and Child Healthcare Program Kicks Off in Kilifi County, Kenya
The Mother to Mother SHIONOGI Project Enters Its Second Phase with the Aim of Improving Health Access