Media Release
Basel, 4 December 2006
Employees support children affected by HIV/AIDS at the Annual Roche AIDS Walk
More than 1 million Swiss Francs raised for HIV/AIDS projects
13’000 employees at 95 Roche sites participated in the Global Roche Employee AIDS Walk on World AIDS Day last Friday, raising money to help children affected by HIV/AIDS. The Global Roche Employee AIDS Walk, occurring for the 4th time this year, was initiated as a result of Roche employees wanting to reach out and make a difference in the lives of those affected hardest by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. To date, 34’000 employees have raised almost 4 million Swiss Francs to directly help children impacted by AIDS in a sustainable way.
Pierre Jaccoud, Chair of Roche’s Corporate Sustainability Committee, said: “It is impressive to see how each year, more and more Roche sites are participating in the AIDS Walk. Our employees are committed to make a difference not just through their work as researchers and experts, but also by living Roche’s tradition of wider community involvement in humanitarian and social projects centred mainly in Least Developed Countries. Also, we are pleased to realise a first contribution to our new collaboration with UNICEF”.
Various organizations in different parts of the world will benefit from the donations. Roche, in collaboration with the European Coalition of Positive People (ECPP), is, in particular, supporting day care centers in Malawi, looking after more than 3000 children orphaned by AIDS. Malawi is a stable and peaceful country but also one of the poorest in Africa, with up to half a million children who have lost one or both parents as a result of AIDS. Also, as announced in October this year, part of the money raised will be used to fund the project “Schools for Africa”, established by UNICEF in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela Foundation to improve education and the schools the children attend in Malawi.
In addition to these two major projects, funding raised by the Global Employee AIDS Walk may be shared with local HIV/AIDS organizations in the participating Roche affiliates site communities. As a result, children impacted by HIV/AIDS globally will benefit.
Partnership between Roche and ECPP
Roche and ECPP have agreed to work in partnership to directly benefit orphaned children in Malawi. The partnership is designed to construct, equip, monitor and help maintain orphan centres in rural, Southern Malawi. Roche organises and bears all costs associated with conducting the Global Roche Employee AIDS Walk fundraising events.
About HIV/AIDS and Malawi
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are 38.6 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. Sub-Saharan Africa is by far the worst affected area, with over 24 million people currently living with the disease. In Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world, it is estimated that 15 percent of the 11 million inhabitants are infected with HIV. The virus caused over 80,000 deaths in 2003. Over 700,000 children in Malawi have lost one or both parents to AIDS. As orphans, they are often excluded from education and vocational training because of their poverty.
About the Global Roche Employee AIDS Walk
The first Roche Employee AIDS Walk took place in 2003 as a pilot project involving three large sites. Immensely successful in its first year, the event was subsequently extended to Roche sites worldwide. Since 2003 the event has totaled over 34’000 Roche employees taking part in the annual walk, raising an aggregate sum of almost 4 million Swiss Francs for children impacted by AIDS in Malawi and worldwide.
About “Schools for Africa”
UNICEF and the Nelson Mandela Foundation believe that education is key to development, and have launched together the initiative “Schools for Africa”. In Rwanda, Angola, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa, 2 million children will have access to education in the next three years, 4000 schools will be renovated or built, sanitary infrastructure will provide clean water in 1800 schools, and 35000 teachers will receive special training
About Roche
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world’s leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As a supplier of innovative products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people’s health and quality of life. Roche is a world leader in diagnostics, the leading supplier of medicines for cancer and transplantation and a market leader in virology. In 2005 sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totalled 27.3 billion Swiss francs, and the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 8.2 billion Swiss francs. Roche employs roughly 70,000 people in 150 countries and has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai. Additional information about the Roche Group is available on the Internet (www.roche.com).
Further information
- Roche AIDS Walk and Malawi
- Roche Pharmaceuticals in HIV
- Roche Diagnostics in HIV
- Access to Healthcare
- About ECPP
- About UNICEF
- Pictures from the Basel Roche AIDS Walk 2006
TV stations: a b-roll available in English and German
Employees support children affected by HIV/AIDS at the Annual Roche AIDS Walk
More than 1 million Swiss Francs raised for HIV/AIDS projects
13’000 employees at 95 Roche sites participated in the Global Roche Employee AIDS Walk on World AIDS Day last Friday, raising money to help children affected by HIV/AIDS. The Global Roche Employee AIDS Walk, occurring for the 4th time this year, was initiated as a result of Roche employees wanting to reach out and make a difference in the lives of those affected hardest by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. To date, 34’000 employees have raised almost 4 million Swiss Francs to directly help children impacted by AIDS in a sustainable way.
Pierre Jaccoud, Chair of Roche’s Corporate Sustainability Committee, said: “It is impressive to see how each year, more and more Roche sites are participating in the AIDS Walk. Our employees are committed to make a difference not just through their work as researchers and experts, but also by living Roche’s tradition of wider community involvement in humanitarian and social projects centred mainly in Least Developed Countries. Also, we are pleased to realise a first contribution to our new collaboration with UNICEF”.
Various organizations in different parts of the world will benefit from the donations. Roche, in collaboration with the European Coalition of Positive People (ECPP), is, in particular, supporting day care centers in Malawi, looking after more than 3000 children orphaned by AIDS. Malawi is a stable and peaceful country but also one of the poorest in Africa, with up to half a million children who have lost one or both parents as a result of AIDS. Also, as announced in October this year, part of the money raised will be used to fund the project “Schools for Africa”, established by UNICEF in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela Foundation to improve education and the schools the children attend in Malawi.
In addition to these two major projects, funding raised by the Global Employee AIDS Walk may be shared with local HIV/AIDS organizations in the participating Roche affiliates site communities. As a result, children impacted by HIV/AIDS globally will benefit.
Partnership between Roche and ECPP
Roche and ECPP have agreed to work in partnership to directly benefit orphaned children in Malawi. The partnership is designed to construct, equip, monitor and help maintain orphan centres in rural, Southern Malawi. Roche organises and bears all costs associated with conducting the Global Roche Employee AIDS Walk fundraising events.
About HIV/AIDS and Malawi
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are 38.6 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. Sub-Saharan Africa is by far the worst affected area, with over 24 million people currently living with the disease. In Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world, it is estimated that 15 percent of the 11 million inhabitants are infected with HIV. The virus caused over 80,000 deaths in 2003. Over 700,000 children in Malawi have lost one or both parents to AIDS. As orphans, they are often excluded from education and vocational training because of their poverty.
About the Global Roche Employee AIDS Walk
The first Roche Employee AIDS Walk took place in 2003 as a pilot project involving three large sites. Immensely successful in its first year, the event was subsequently extended to Roche sites worldwide. Since 2003 the event has totaled over 34’000 Roche employees taking part in the annual walk, raising an aggregate sum of almost 4 million Swiss Francs for children impacted by AIDS in Malawi and worldwide.
About “Schools for Africa”
UNICEF and the Nelson Mandela Foundation believe that education is key to development, and have launched together the initiative “Schools for Africa”. In Rwanda, Angola, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa, 2 million children will have access to education in the next three years, 4000 schools will be renovated or built, sanitary infrastructure will provide clean water in 1800 schools, and 35000 teachers will receive special training
About Roche
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world’s leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As a supplier of innovative products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people’s health and quality of life. Roche is a world leader in diagnostics, the leading supplier of medicines for cancer and transplantation and a market leader in virology. In 2005 sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totalled 27.3 billion Swiss francs, and the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 8.2 billion Swiss francs. Roche employs roughly 70,000 people in 150 countries and has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai. Additional information about the Roche Group is available on the Internet (www.roche.com).
All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are legally protected.
Further information
- Roche AIDS Walk and Malawi
- Roche Pharmaceuticals in HIV
- Roche Diagnostics in HIV
- Access to Healthcare
- About ECPP
- About UNICEF
- Pictures from the Basel Roche AIDS Walk 2006
TV stations: a b-roll available in English and German