Crucell corporate brochure (PDF)

Crucell’s commitment to the world – Taking responsibility
Runa Khan, Executive Director Friendship
“Let me tell you a true story… On char Bhatiborial under Sundarganj,
Gaibandha, a young girl is already a mother at the age of 16. Khadija
Begum was 15 when she married Shomizuddin. She had never
received medical treatment or visited a doctor and had not received
her tetanus injection (TT). She was not even aware that adolescent
girls should receive three doses of TT under the Government
Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) to minimize the risk
of infection during delivery.
To her knowledge, the government has never held an EPI session at
Bhatiborial and she does not recall a health worker ever visiting the
char for health education. The closest family welfare center was
approximately 3 hours away. To get there, she would have to walk
2 kilometers over sand, wait for a boat that may come only twice
a week (and not even at a fixed time), and then take a van ride,
making her journey both tiring and costly.
In May 2010, when she was about 4 months pregnant, a team
showed up on her island—not only to conduct an EPI session on the
char itself but also to inform and educate the community through
household visits and group meetings.
Khadija’s son, Mohammad Khairul, is now 5 months old and under
the Friendship–Crucell EPI Support Program has received his BCG
(tuberculosis), Quinvaxem® 1 and 2 (pertussis, diphtheria, hepatitis B,
tetanus and Haemophilus influenzae type B), and OPV 1 and 2 (polio)
vaccine doses. More importantly, Khadija is aware of when his next
dose is due and will be bringing him to the center for it. If by chance
she forgets, she is secure in the knowledge that a Friendship health
worker will come by to remind her.
Khadija Begum’s story is one of thousands. This outcome is made
possible by the joint efforts of Crucell and Friendship.”
NGO partnerships
Crucell and Friendship
Crucell’s partnership with Friendship is a good example of how we
work with NGOs to overcome barriers to healthcare access in developing
countries. Crucell provides funding and scientific expertise, as well as
practical support, to enable organizations that understand the local
needs, culture and healthcare challenges to develop targeted solutions.
Friendship is a value-based national organization dedicated to
improving the lives of people living in the remote riverbank and char
areas of northern Bangladesh. The chars (nomad islands) are isolated
from the mainland in terms of physical distance, access to healthcare,
and other basic resources. Rates of morbidity and mortality due to
vaccine-preventable diseases are high, especially among children.
The partnership between Crucell and Friendship is successfully tackling
this problem by facilitating the government EPI program, which aims
to deliver the WHO-recommended schedule of vaccines to all children
under five. We focus on logistics and infrastructure, providing a riverbased
health service system with floating hospitals, satellite clinics and
community medics. The Friendship–Crucell program has purchased
three boats, recruited staff who help the government healthcare
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