In 2007, we joined forces with the World Health Organization (WHO) to combat the tropical disease schistosomiasis – a major threat to children in Africa. In 2008, the project started in eight countries: A total of 14 million tablets of Cesol® 600 containing the active ingredient praziquantel will be distributed in Madagascar, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Senegal, Yemen, the Central African Republic and Angola. In Africa, more than 200 million people are infected. Schistosomiasis is responsible for around 200,000 deaths each year. Over a ten-year period, Merck will provide 200 million tablets to treat around 27 million school children.
Merck remains the exclusive supporter of the Global Pharma Health Fund (GPHF) in the fight again counterfeit drugs in developing countries. With the GPHF Minilab®, GPHF offers a unique portable compact laboratory that makes it possible to test drugs rapidly and to close gaps in monitoring. The 300th Minilab was delivered for use in 2008.
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