Improving access to healthcare services in developing countries
Our efforts in Africa
Mother to Mother SHIONOGI Project
With the aim of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC), which has been adopted under Goal 3 of the SDGs, the Company is promoting the Mother to Mother SHIONOGI Project in Kenya and Ghana. High maternal mortality rate and under-5 child mortality rate are major issues in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Since 2015, "Mother to Mother SHIONOGI Project" has worked to improve maternal and child health in collaboration with various partners, with donations from SHIONOGI group employees as a fund source. This will be done through collective impact※, an approach of effectively combining the strengths of the respective partners, including business enterprises and NGOs.
- ※It maximizes the impact of the efforts by organizations including business enterprises, governments and NGOs/NPOs by their collaborative commitment to solving social issues.
1st) Project Overview
2nd) Project Efforts in Kilifi Country, Kenya
3rd) What's "Mother to Mother Group"
Achievements of this project
- ※Activity in which mothers in each region form groups and teach each other about maternal and child health and nutrition (peer education)
Accelerating clinical trials and transferring technologies
Two challenges in improving access to patients who require pharmaceuticals by SHIONOGI and contributing to global health are establishing infrastructure for large-scale clinical trials to realize early development and securing a manufacturing framework that is able to accommodate required quantities.
To address such issues, in November 2021, we executed a Letter of Intent regarding countermeasures for infectious diseases, COVID-19 included, with the Ministry of Health of Vietnam. In tackling the immediate challenge that COVID-19 poses, we have been promoting clinical trials in that country for vaccines and orally-delivered therapeutic drugs in mid-development as well as pursuing discussions areas such as cooperating with the Vietnamese government on the transfer of manufacturing technologies for vaccines.
Additionally, in December 2021, we commenced global Phase 3 clinical trials for the COVID-19 vaccine S-268019 in Vietnam.