GSK Annual Report 2002

28 GlaxoSmithKline Description of business
Public health programmes
The Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis
GlaxoSmithKline is an active and involved member of the Global
Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (LF); a unique partnership
which includes the WHO, the ministries of health in endemic
countries, non-governmental organisations, community based
organisations, academic institutions, international organisations
and the private sector - all committed to eliminating one of the
world’s most disabling diseases.
GlaxoSmithKline has committed as much of its anti-parasitic drug
albendazole as is required to eliminate LF over the anticipated
20 year life of the programme. In 2002, the fourth year of the
programme, 66 million tablets, worth £8.7 million at wholesale
acquisition cost were donated to 31 countries. These numbers will
expand as the programme extends to the one billion people at risk
in 80 countries. In addition the Group gave grants to support the
Global Alliance to Eliminate LF totalling £750,000.
Positive Action on HIV/AIDS
In 2002 Positive Action - the Group’s international programme of
HIV education, care and community support – marked its tenth
anniversary. Through the programme GlaxoSmithKline works in
partnership with networks of people living with HIV/AIDS,
community groups, international agencies, NGOs and governments
to intensify community responses to HIV/AIDS.
During 2002 Positive Action supported 25 international
programmes in 32 countries. Programmes included a grant of
$250,000 over three years to the International Center for Research
on Women, to investigate the underlying factors that cause
HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination and to develop
interventions to minimise the barriers limiting access to healthcare.
The project is being conducted in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Zambia.
Following consultation with the conference community committee,
Positive Action contributed over £90,000 to support attendance
and participation of community representatives from underresourced
regions at the 14th International AIDS Conference, held
in Barcelona in July 2002.
African Malaria Partnership
In April 2002 GlaxoSmithKline launched the African Malaria
Partnership to fund three behavioural development programmes
in Africa to help combat a disease that kills more than a million
people every year.
In November 2002, it was announced that three programmes had
been selected to share grants totalling £1 million over three years.
The programmes will benefit nearly two million people in seven
countries.
Regional community initiatives
United Kingdom
GlaxoSmithKline made corporate contributions of £4.1 million to
UK charities. More than 350 projects in science education and
medical research, healthcare, the arts and the environment were
funded. In addition GlaxoSmithKline companies in the UK provided
a further £8.5 million for community investment purposes, giving a
combined total of £12.6 million in support of projects in the UK.
Almost £500,000 in total was provided for medical research to The
Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths, Multiple Sclerosis
Society, Action Research, Primary Immunodeficiency Association
and The Stroke Association.
GlaxoSmithKline gave an unrestricted gift of £5 million to Imperial
College London. The gift will be used to support biomedical
research in an effort to identify and develop new treatments for
disease.
The Group announced renewed support for science education by
investing £1 million over four years in INSPIRE (INnovative Scheme
for Post-docs in Research and Education), in partnership with the
Department for Education and Skills, Imperial College London, and
the Specialist Schools Trust.
Other 2002 education programmes included £100,000 for Science
Across The World, an international educational programme
encouraging communication and shared learning across different
cultures, and sponsorship of The Royal Institution Christmas
Lectures, which provide an opportunity for young people to learn
from eminent scientists.
The International Impact Awards (UK) recognise excellence in the
work of voluntary community healthcare organisations across the
UK. This years’ ten winners each received an unrestricted award of
£25,000. £100,000 was donated to the Royal National Institute for
the Blind, in support of their new Low Vision Unit in London. The
Group is also supporting the Shaw Trust’s Pain Management
project in Wales with a donation of over £36,000.
The Group sponsored the exhibition ‘Art in the Making -
Underdrawings in Renaissance Paintings’ at the National Gallery,
London. It is supporting Earthwatch Institute’s environmental
awards for primary school teachers for three years with a donation
of £150,000.
Europe
Programmes in Europe in 2002 focused on children’s health with
total funding of £1.1 million supporting a range of long-term
programmes, including £335,000 for Zippy’s Friends; a programme
run by Partnership for Children to teach coping skills to children in
Denmark and Lithuania.
Barretstown Gang in Ireland and L’Envol in France, both of which
provide therapeutic recreation for seriously ill children from across
Europe, received £350,000 and £100,000, respectively.
Working with the charity HealthProm and the Azerbaijan Health
Ministry, GlaxoSmithKline invested £92,000 in 2002 as part of a
four year programme to benefit nearly 250,000 refugees in
Azerbaijan with a new safe childbirth initiative.
North America
Programmes in North America focused on improving access to
better healthcare. Funding of $13.1 million was allocated through
the North America Community Partnerships team. A further
$93.7 million was donated to regional community activities.
The SHARE Awards foster healthy ageing across cultures by
recognising community-based programmes that meet the needs of
older people from racially, ethnically and culturally diverse
backgrounds. Over the past four years, GlaxoSmithKline’s grants of
$6.5 million have supported SHARE awards for 51 organisations,
enabling them to improve healthcare access and delivery.
The International Impact Awards (USA) acknowledge and reward
excellence in the non-profit healthcare community, in the Greater
Philadelphia area. Ten winners each received $40,000 as an
unrestricted award.