MSD joins SCBF as 32nd member
MSD, known as Merck & Co., Inc., in the United States and Canada, is a premier research-intensive global biopharmaceutical company delivering innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases. For more than 130 years, MSD has been following the science to tackle some of the world’s greatest health threats and is committed to improving health through the discovery and development of important medicines and vaccines.
We are delighted to share that in April 2024, we welcomed MSD as SCBF’s 32nd member.
Delphine Caroff, Associate Vice President, Sustainable Access Solutions Lead, shares her thoughts about their work and how our new partnership can help bridge the protection gap for financial inclusion.
How is MSD bridging the health protection gap and promoting health equity today and what are its plans going forward?
It’s our company’s goal to advance global health and enable that all patients in need have access to the medications they require. To achieve this, we focus on advancing patient access through partnerships and collaborative frameworks with various stakeholders. By working together with healthcare providers, policymakers, patient organizations, NGOs as well as other industry players, MSD aims to enable sustainable access solutions and expand the accessible patient population.
The array of activities we pursue to increase access to health vary from patient pathway optimization to affordability solutions such as employee benefits, private health insurance, installment plans, and multi-financing models. Additionally, we engage in innovative contracting such as value-based agreements and explore new access channels by establishing partnerships with healthcare ecosystem partners.
What made you join SCBF, which focuses on closing the financial protection gap in emerging markets?
We believe that joining SCBF will offer opportunities to join efforts and accelerate the impact we can have in improving access to health especially in LMIC’s. Our objectives align very well, and the ecosystem offered by SCBF will undoubtedly enhance collaboration on health financing innovation.
MSD is currently bridging the health protection gap and promoting health equity through various initiatives and collaborations across the globe. One concrete example is the prioritization of women’s health to address the inequities in women’s cancers. Here we are working towards ensuring equal access to cancer prevention, screening, treatment, and care for women in the emerging markets. This includes implementing local women’s health programs that empower women to improve health literacy and overcome barriers to healthcare services.
How do you see this partnership helping the Foundation in expanding its goal to create greater health equity?
We are truly excited about starting our partnership with SCBF. Obviously, we have a common goal which is to advance global health, enable more people to access our breakthroughs and further advance health equity.
Our expertise and resources can contribute to the development and implementation of programs and initiatives that address health disparities and improve access to healthcare services. We can collaborate to scale access solutions in areas such as building health care capacity, strengthening channels for high care delivery, and fostering sustainable financing.
Partnering with SCBF fully meets our ambitious ESG targets. Our medicines reach patients in over three quarters of countries around the word. And almost half of 500 million people touched by our innovations benefited from sustainable access strategies including our partnership with Gavi and UNICEF.
