FOR us at Eli Lilly, social responsibility (SR) is not a flavour of the month. It is a commitment we stick to at a global level with various initiatives taken by our people. SR is a way one acts like a responsible citizen and component of society. And, for a company head, social responsibility is a great way to make people engage in a great cause and in unity.

Though India is a country where one can associate with several causes, our focus has been on eradicating tuberculosis (TB). India carries nearly one third of the world's tuberculosis cases and has the highest rate of new TB cases as well.

Two people die of TB here every three minutes.

More than a 1000 die everyday, and over 500,000-every year. Importantly, as TB is endemic and contaqious, each one of us is at risk.

The MDR-TB Partnership of Eli Lilly is an initiative from the company to address the scourge of TB, which threatens to undermine the progress made so far in the long fight against the epidemic. As part of our commitment to corporate citizenship, we have looked beyond our traditional operations, choosing to focus on this urgent global health issue - to fight the growing global threat of multidrug-resistant TB.

All the MDR-TB Partnership initiative have one overarching thing in common - improved care for some of the world's most vulnerable people. The partnership aims to enhance access to medicines, transfer of manufacturing technology, training of doctors, raising awareness, promoting prevention, supporting community patient advocates and conducting early-stage drug discovery. This is more than a transfer of know-how - it is the transfer of hope.

In India, the partnership has so far transferred technology and expertise needed to manufacture Lilly's antibiotic for MDR-TB cycloserine (Seromycin®) to Shasun Chemicals and Drugs Ltd, Chennai. Lilly has supplied manufacturing know-how, as well as financial assistance to purchase the equipment needed to make these medications. It worked in conjunction with Purdue University to share Good Manufacturing Practices with the Indian partner.

The partnership continually works with policymakers to support the appropriate use of medicines in line with the WHO standards of treatment, TB prevention and control. Lilly India is working with the government-run pilot DOTS PLUS initiative in Gujarat to support patients through community-based programmes aimed at increasing awareness for increasing early case detection and those struggling with adherence.

As part of its communication strategy  to increase awareness, Lilly India has entered into a partnership with Hindi daily, Dainik Jagran for mass awareness and SMS service. Innovative use of radio and street theatre is also made to take the disease state awareness messages to the community in underserved areas.

The partnership also recognises the need for TB patients to be treated with dignity, and supports the World Economic Forum's training programme to educate employers and employees about TB.

When you remove the stigma of MDRTB, and patients no longer feel ashamed to have this disease, they are empowered to come forward for treatment. As part of the India Business Alliance, more than 34 private companies are using the Lillysponsored workplace toolkit to support their workplace TB awareness programmes.

In conclusion I would say, stopping MDR-TB is not about a single act, it's about a series of joint initiatives that improve survival for some of the world's most vulnerable and hard-to-treat patients.

 

URL: http://epaper.financialexpress.com/artMailDisp.aspx?article=16_03_2008_006_007&typ=1&pub=321