GENEVA & OSAKA, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (“Takeda”) (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK) today became the first private sector company to announce a financial commitment to the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment. The new pledge, consisting of JP ¥ 1 billion over five years, builds on Takeda's previous contribution to the Global Fund.
Takeda, a leading global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan, intends to support the improvement of maternal and child health by integrating quality HIV, tuberculosis and malaria services in antenatal and postnatal care in several countries in Africa.
“We are very pleased to renew our partnership with Takeda and strengthen our collaboration in fighting HIV, TB and malaria,” said Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund. “I hope Takeda’s vote of confidence in the work we do will encourage other corporations in Asia and beyond to step up the fight to end the epidemics.”
Takeda’s first pledge of JP ¥ 1 billion over ten years was invested in strengthening the capacity of health care workers in Africa. It helped boost malaria prevention efforts in Tanzania with the distribution of mosquito nets; accelerated access to TB treatment in Kenya; and expanded HIV services and increased awareness of the virus in Nigeria.
“We are deeply inspired by the Takeda Initiative’s impact on strengthening healthcare workforce capacity in Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania to prevent and address the world’s three biggest infectious disease killers,” said Christophe Weber, President & CEO, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company. “Our commitment to Better Health and a Brighter Future extends beyond our work at the cutting edge of innovation to bold, long-term investments in disease prevention, capacity building, and access to healthcare in partnership with the global community. Supporting the Global Fund over the past 10 years has yielded results that are very important to us, and that is why we are proud to continue to partner with the Global Fund on the Takeda Initiative 2.”
The Global Fund has demonstrated extraordinary impact as a public-private partnership, saving 27 million lives since 2002. The number of people dying from AIDS, TB and malaria in countries where the Global Fund invests has been reduced by one-third.
France will convene the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference on October 10, 2019 in Lyon, France. The Global Fund seeks to raise at least US$14 billion – US$1 billion from the private sector – for the next three years. The funds will help save 16 million lives, cut the mortality rate from HIV, TB and malaria in half, and build stronger health systems by 2023.
The renewal of the partnership was facilitated by the Friends of the Global Fund, Japan, operated by the Japan Center for International Exchange. Akio Okawara, President & CEO of JCIE, added: “Takeda’s continued commitment to support the global fight against the three diseases provides an exemplary model of private sector engagement and adds momentum to Japan’s public-private partnership efforts in promoting universal health coverage and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.”
About the Global Fund
The Global Fund is a 21st-century partnership designed to accelerate the end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics. As a partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and people affected by the diseases, the Global Fund mobilizes and invests nearly US$4 billion a year to support programs run by local experts in more than 100 countries. By challenging barriers and embracing innovative approaches, we are working together to better serve people affected by the diseases.
For more information, visit www.theglobalfund.org
About Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK) is a global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan, committed to bringing Better Health and a Brighter Future to patients by translating science into highly-innovative medicines. Takeda focuses its R&D efforts on four therapeutic areas: Oncology, Gastroenterology (GI), Rare Diseases, and Neuroscience. We also make targeted R&D investments in Plasma-Derived Therapies and Vaccines. We are focusing on developing highly innovative medicines that contribute to making a difference in people's lives by advancing the frontier of new treatment options and leveraging our enhanced collaborative R&D engine and capabilities to create a robust, modality-diverse pipeline. Our employees are committed to improving quality of life for patients and to working with our partners in health care in approximately 80 countries and regions.
For more information, visit www.takeda.com
