President Clinton Unveils Special Programming Focused on Investing in Girls and Women
New York, N.Y. - President Bill Clinton announced today that this year’s Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting would offer special programming focused on investing in girls and women.
“Gender inequality is one of the most pressing issues that we face as a global community,” President Clinton said today. “I am proud that these issues are a central focus of the Clinton Global Initiative’s Fifth Annual Meeting, and I am confident that by sharing innovative ideas, we can devise solutions that will dramatically improve the lives of girls and women throughout the world.”
Across the globe, poverty and economic insecurity are exacerbated by the low social status of women and girls. Women make up two-thirds of all the illiterate people in the world and only 1 percent of the world’s landowners. Each year of schooling increases a woman’s income by 10 to 20 percent. Educating women has also been shown to increase agricultural yields, boost GNP, and improve health. Yet girls are still less likely than boys to receive even a basic education.
On Wednesday, September 23, 2009, from 9:00 to 10:30 am, CGI will host a plenary session that includes leaders from the public, private, and non-profit sector who are actively engaged in gender equality efforts. The session, entitled “Investing in Women and Girls,” will be moderated by Diane Sawyer, co-anchor of ABC’s Good Morning America. Panelists include Lloyd Blankfein, Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs; Robert B. Zoellick, President, The World Bank Group; Zainab Salbi, Founder and CEO of Women for Women International; Rex Tillerson CEO of ExxonMobil; and Melanne Verveer, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, U.S. Department of State. The panel will focus on social, political, and economic changes that can be made to reverse the marginalization of women.
The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women initiative (www.10000women.org) is a $100 million, five year campaign to foster economic growth by providing a business and management education to underserved women. The initiative is currently active in 16 countries and is operated through a network of more than 60 academic and non-profit partners.
In 2005, ExxonMobil launched a global program to help women in developing countries fulfill their economic potential and serve as drivers of economic and social change in their communities. To date, the program has reached women from 64 developing countries and focuses mainly on building the next generation of female business leaders and entrepreneurs and reducing barriers to women’s economic participation.
President Clinton also announced the formation of two Action Networks which will allow CGI members working on issues related to women and girls to discuss best practices, identify service gaps, and catalyze new collaborations and partnerships. The networks -- Empowering Women and Investing in Girls – will meet during the Annual Meeting.
On Tuesday, September 22, a dinner will be held to celebrate the outstanding individuals and organizations committed to addressing the challenges faced by girls and women around the globe. The event will highlight the ExxonMobil’s Women’s Initiative and the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women initiative, along with efforts by CARE, Camfed International, and Vital Voices. Participants include Mrs. Sarah Brown, Wife of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Meet the Press moderator David Gregory, Melanne Verveer, and Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Laureate and founder of the Grameen Bank.
President Clinton’s efforts are part of a larger trend of increased attention toward women and girls. In March, President Obama announced the White House Council on Woman and Girls, which will ensure that agencies across the federal government take women’s issues into account. During its first year, the Council is tasked with ensuring that each federal agency is working to improve the economic status of women. The State Department’s Office of Global Women’s Issues is also actively working to improve the condition of women worldwide.
About the Clinton Global Initiative
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI Annual Meetings have brought together more than 100 current and former heads of state, 14 Nobel Peace Prize laureates, hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations, major philanthropists, directors of the most effective nongovernmental organizations, and prominent members of the media. These CGI members have made more than 1,400 commitments valued at $46 billion, which have already improved the lives of 200 million people in 150 countries. Commitments made at the 2008 Annual Meeting are expected to affect almost 160 million people. The CGI community also includes CGI University (CGI U), a forum to engage college students in global citizenship; and MyCommitment.org, an online portal where anybody can make their own Commitment to Action. CGI will hold its Fifth Annual Meeting September 22-25, 2009, in New York City. For more information, visit
www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Diageo and GRAND MARNIER® join forces across Europe
Diageo, the world’s leading premium drinks business, and GRAND MARNIER® announced that they have reached an exclusive agreement for Diageo to distribute and market the GRAND MARNIER® liqueurs range in 61 markets across Western and Eastern Europe, Russia and former CIS countries, as well as duty-free. From July 1 Diageo will start distribution in 26 markets, including Germany and Spain. France, along with a further four markets, will transfer to Diageo in 2009. Pan-European distribution is expected upon the expiration of existing contracts over the next three years.
GRAND MARNIER® is a premium cognac and orange-based liqueur with a rich history and heritage, produced in France since 1880 and available globally in 150 countries around the world. The range is led by GRAND MARNIER® Cordon Rouge, and a further three premium unique higher qualities, blends of older and more refined cognacs aged at the Chateau of Bourg Charente.
Gilbert Ghostine, managing director of Diageo Continental Europe, said: ‘The GRAND MARNIER® range is renowned for its exceptional taste, quality and heritage. It will truly complement Diageo’s range of brands across Europe. We are confident that through our superior route to market and premium brand marketing expertise, this can only enhance the success and unleash the potential of GRAND MARNIER® across Europe.’
Tom van Lambaart designated chief operating officer of Marnier Lapostolle, said: ‘The agreement between GRAND MARNIER® and Diageo enables GRAND MARNIER® to benefit from Diageo’s European distribution platform and its reputation in developing premium brands. We look forward to working closely with them in Europe.’
The liqueur is perfect in long drinks and cocktails, with Cordon Rouge forming part of the classic Grand Cosmopolitan. The higher qualities offer a truly unique experience as an after dinner digestive.
- ends -
About Grand MarnierIn 1827, Jean-Baptiste Lapostolle founded a distillery in Neauphle-le-Château, near Paris. In 1880, Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle, the son-in-law of Eugène Lapostolle, son of the founder, created the famous Grand Marnier® liqueur, a blend of cognac and tropical oranges. Today, the company is run by 5th and 6th generation members of the Marnier Lapostolle family, including Jacques Marnier Lapostolle, the current Chairman of the Board. With 90% of its production sold outside of France in over 150 countries, Grand Marnier® has been the leading French liqueur in export sales for over 25 years. According to the magazine “Impact”, Grand Marnier® is among the top 100 major international brands of premium spirits and the third highest selling brand of liqueur worldwide (based on retail sales). A bottle of GRAND MARNIER® is sold every 2 seconds around the world.
About Diageo Diageo is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines, and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines. Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.
Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.
Contacts
Diageo media enquiries
Cecilia Coonan +44 (0)20 7927 5749cecilia.g.coonan@diageo.com
Diageo, the world’s leading premium drinks business, and GRAND MARNIER® announced that they have reached an exclusive agreement for Diageo to distribute and market the GRAND MARNIER® liqueurs range in 61 markets across Western and Eastern Europe, Russia and former CIS countries, as well as duty-free. From July 1 Diageo will start distribution in 26 markets, including Germany and Spain. France, along with a further four markets, will transfer to Diageo in 2009. Pan-European distribution is expected upon the expiration of existing contracts over the next three years.
GRAND MARNIER® is a premium cognac and orange-based liqueur with a rich history and heritage, produced in France since 1880 and available globally in 150 countries around the world. The range is led by GRAND MARNIER® Cordon Rouge, and a further three premium unique higher qualities, blends of older and more refined cognacs aged at the Chateau of Bourg Charente.
Gilbert Ghostine, managing director of Diageo Continental Europe, said: ‘The GRAND MARNIER® range is renowned for its exceptional taste, quality and heritage. It will truly complement Diageo’s range of brands across Europe. We are confident that through our superior route to market and premium brand marketing expertise, this can only enhance the success and unleash the potential of GRAND MARNIER® across Europe.’
Tom van Lambaart designated chief operating officer of Marnier Lapostolle, said: ‘The agreement between GRAND MARNIER® and Diageo enables GRAND MARNIER® to benefit from Diageo’s European distribution platform and its reputation in developing premium brands. We look forward to working closely with them in Europe.’
The liqueur is perfect in long drinks and cocktails, with Cordon Rouge forming part of the classic Grand Cosmopolitan. The higher qualities offer a truly unique experience as an after dinner digestive.
- ends -
About Grand MarnierIn 1827, Jean-Baptiste Lapostolle founded a distillery in Neauphle-le-Château, near Paris. In 1880, Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle, the son-in-law of Eugène Lapostolle, son of the founder, created the famous Grand Marnier® liqueur, a blend of cognac and tropical oranges. Today, the company is run by 5th and 6th generation members of the Marnier Lapostolle family, including Jacques Marnier Lapostolle, the current Chairman of the Board. With 90% of its production sold outside of France in over 150 countries, Grand Marnier® has been the leading French liqueur in export sales for over 25 years. According to the magazine “Impact”, Grand Marnier® is among the top 100 major international brands of premium spirits and the third highest selling brand of liqueur worldwide (based on retail sales). A bottle of GRAND MARNIER® is sold every 2 seconds around the world.
About Diageo Diageo is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines, and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines. Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.
Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.
Contacts
Diageo media enquiries
Cecilia Coonan +44 (0)20 7927 5749cecilia.g.coonan@diageo.com
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Diageo is committed to the responsible marketing of its brands and effective self-regulation across the industry
As the world’s leading premium drinks company, Diageo is aware of the positive, and sometimes negative role alcohol can play in the lives of individuals and in society. For us, world class marketing means not just responsible marketing, but also marketing responsible drinking.
We understand our responsibility to develop, produce, market and sell our brands responsibly. We also believe that there is a shared responsibility with individuals, families, governments, law enforcers and educators to address alcohol misuse with respect to diverse cultures around the world. In aspiring to change consumer attitudes and behaviour, we recognise that we cannot achieve behavioural or cultural change by ourselves, and we will continue to find opportunities to work in partnership with others to bring about change.
The updated and revised Diageo Marketing Code builds on earlier versions of the code, and incorporates feedback from a wide range of external stakeholders as well as a range of current and new guidance and enhanced compliance requirements, reflecting our ongoing commitment to remain at the forefront of responsible marketing and effective self-regulation. While it is more detailed in this respect, responsibility is all about principles, and the principles and the spirit underpinning the code remain the same.
We consider the code as an enabler to great creativity and leading-edge marketing and we hope it inspires all our stakeholders to continue to work together with us, to deliver responsible alcohol marketing and effective self-regulation across the industry and the globe.
For further information regarding Diageo's commitment to responsible marketing and innovation, and to download a copy of the Diageo Marketing Code, please visit our global responsible drinking resource http://www.drinkiq.com/.
As the world’s leading premium drinks company, Diageo is aware of the positive, and sometimes negative role alcohol can play in the lives of individuals and in society. For us, world class marketing means not just responsible marketing, but also marketing responsible drinking.
We understand our responsibility to develop, produce, market and sell our brands responsibly. We also believe that there is a shared responsibility with individuals, families, governments, law enforcers and educators to address alcohol misuse with respect to diverse cultures around the world. In aspiring to change consumer attitudes and behaviour, we recognise that we cannot achieve behavioural or cultural change by ourselves, and we will continue to find opportunities to work in partnership with others to bring about change.
The updated and revised Diageo Marketing Code builds on earlier versions of the code, and incorporates feedback from a wide range of external stakeholders as well as a range of current and new guidance and enhanced compliance requirements, reflecting our ongoing commitment to remain at the forefront of responsible marketing and effective self-regulation. While it is more detailed in this respect, responsibility is all about principles, and the principles and the spirit underpinning the code remain the same.
We consider the code as an enabler to great creativity and leading-edge marketing and we hope it inspires all our stakeholders to continue to work together with us, to deliver responsible alcohol marketing and effective self-regulation across the industry and the globe.
For further information regarding Diageo's commitment to responsible marketing and innovation, and to download a copy of the Diageo Marketing Code, please visit our global responsible drinking resource http://www.drinkiq.com/.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
PRESIDENT CLINTON AND ZAGAT SURVEY ANNOUNCE NEWEST NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE
For Immediate Release: August 12, 2009
Contact: Clinton Foundation Press Office, 212.348.0360, press@clintonfoundation.org Tiffany Barbalato, 212.404.6416, tbarbalato@zagat.com
PRESIDENT CLINTON AND ZAGAT SURVEY ANNOUNCE NEWEST NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE
New Guide Shines the Spotlight on Harlem, Celebrates All Things Harlem
New York, NY – President Clinton announced today Zagat Survey’s first-ever Spotlight on Harlem neighborhood guide, a partnership between the Clinton Foundation’s Economic Opportunity Initiative and Zagat Survey, as the annual Harlem Week celebration gets underway. The guide highlights 323 of Harlem’s restaurants, nightspots, shops, and attractions with ratings and reviews that are based on the collective opinions of thousands of surveyors who voted at ZAGAT.com. These establishments showcase the rich culture of Harlem’s past and present and represent the hopes of a brighter future. In addition to ratings, reviews, and lists of noteworthy places, the guide offers lists of other neighborhood highlights and an overview of the history of Harlem.
“For me, Harlem has always been an endlessly fascinating and unique place, and I’m proud to have my Foundation’s offices headquartered here,” President Bill Clinton said. “We are pleased to partner with Zagat to showcase all there is to see and do, and hope visitors and residents alike will come explore the great restaurants, quaint shops, cultural landmarks and exciting events the neighborhood has to offer.”
The 2009/10 Spotlight on Harlem guide is sponsored by the Clinton Economic Opportunity Initiative (CEO). Other sponsors of this project include Carver Bank, Citi, the Empire State Development Corporation, and the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone (UMEZ), all of which support and celebrate the unique traditions of Harlem and present this guide as a tool to help locals and visitors alike explore all the neighborhood has to offer.
“When I think of Harlem, I immediately think of the undeniable influence it has had on American history and culture. Harlem is enjoying a second renaissance,” Tim Zagat, CEO and Co-Founder of Zagat Survey. “We’re thrilled to partner with the Clinton Foundation to celebrate and showcase this ever-evolving neighborhood to New Yorkers and beyond.”
Icons and Novelties
A rich, culinary base blends both historic mainstays and new ventures to offer an endless menu of dining options in Harlem. Iconic eateries like Sylvia’s and Rao’s continue to attract diners, while southern/soul food “staples” Miss Mamie’s, Miss Maude’s, and Kitchenette offer reliable, irresistible down-home cooking. Popular spots such as Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and Patsy’s Pizzeria offer great value and at Londel’s Supper Club, southern cuisine + live weekend jazz = a packed house. Over on 12th Avenue, the newly dubbed Viaduct Valley (ViVa), hungry customers indulge in terrific pizzas from Covo and fusion fare at Hudson River Café.
Down on Lenox Avenue
The neighborhood that became home to a new school of music, literature, and social thought has retained its significance though museums, art centers, and churches that remain distinctly Harlem. The landmark Apollo Theater helped launch the careers of legendary artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder ,and Michael Jackson, while the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is a remarkable, one-of-a-kind research facility. Among the many churches and museums, Harlem boasts the Studio Museum, National Jazz Museum, and the architectural marvel of St. John the Divine.
Jazz it Up
Harlem nightlife ranges from dive bars to the 12th Avenue mega-clubs; but it is the historical nightspots that define the area. Legends Billie Holiday and John Coltrane are channeled at the celebrated Lenox Lounge, in existence since 1939, while Minton’s provides genuine jazz with nightly shows, reviving the sounds that made Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis iconic figures. Other jazz clubs include the Cotton Club and St. Nick’s Jazz Pub.
Shopping
Retail options abound in Harlem, with unique boutiques and big-name chains open for business. Carol’s Daughter offers botanically based beauty products while Harlem’s Heaven Boutique showcases men’s and women’s hats for all occasions. A new location of N is set to open this fall, offering swoon-worthy designer-wear. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store at The Cloisters, the Schomburg Shop – New York Public Library and El Museo del Barrio’s boutique (re-opening this fall) tempt shoppers with beautiful items that emphasize the cultures that they represent. And for gourmet shoppers, Harlem Vintage offers weekend tastings and superior wines, while Fairway and Garden of Eden Gourmet Market are just two of the major markets offering fresh produce and much more.
The Guide
The content in the 2009/10 Spotlight on Harlem guide was created by consumers for consumers. The guide is available through the Clinton Foundation as well as the other sponsors. Please visit www.clintonfoundation.org for more information.
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About Zagat Survey, LLCKnown as the “burgundy bible,” Zagat Survey is the world’s most trusted source for information about where to eat, drink, stay and play around the globe, and as such has become a symbol of quality. Zagat Survey rates and reviews airlines, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, movies, music, golf, resorts, shopping, spas and a range of other entertainment categories in more than 100 countries. It has been lauded as the “most up-to-date, comprehensive and reliable guides ever published” and as “a necessity second only to a valid credit card.” Zagat content is available in print, on the web, on the mobile web, iPhone, BlackBerry and on TV. For more information, visit ZAGAT.com.
About the Clinton Economic Opportunity Initiative The Clinton Economic Opportunity Initiative (CEO) is an effort to help families and individuals in the Unites States succeed and businesses in underserved communities grow. CEO advances this mission by helping people access lower-cost financial services and the support they need to develop and sustain good financial habits. CEO also promotes entrepreneurship through business-to-business public service and mentoring. Learn more at www.clintonfoundation.org.
Friday, August 7, 2009
President Clinton & Pfizer Announce Lower Drug Prices for HIV Medicines
For Immediate Release:
August 6, 2009
Contacts: Clinton Foundation Press Office, 212.348.0360, press@clintonfoundation.org
Marco Winkler, 212.733.9313, marco.winkler@pfizer.com
Michael B. Laffin, 724.514.1968, michael.laffin@mylan.com
President Clinton, Pfizer, and Mylan Announce New Agreements to Lower Prices of Medicines for Patients with Drug-Resistant HIV in Developing Countries
Pfizer commits to improve access through a 60 percent price decrease to $1 per dose on drug to treat TB in patients taking second-line HIV/AIDS medications.
Once-daily four-drug combination for “second-line” treatment of HIV/AIDS available from Matrix, a Mylan company, at $475 annually today and at $425 annually in 2010, 28 percent lower than the current lowest-priced alternative.
Combined, the new agreements on HIV and TB -- the leading cause of death of people living with HIV -- reinforce calls for more integrated prevention and treatment of the two diseases.
New York,NY – President Bill Clinton announced two important and complementary agreements today to enable better, more affordable treatments for patients on second-line antiretroviral (ARV) therapy for HIV/AIDS in the developing world. For the first time, a second-line regimen of four ARVs will be available for under $500 annually. Additionally, the cost of a key drug for treating tuberculosis (TB) in patients using second-line ARVs has been reduced by 60 percent, to $1 per dose.
“Thanks to the work of my Foundation’s HIV/AIDS Initiative, 2 million people living with HIV/AIDS are now able to access lifesaving treatment,” President Clinton said. “But their continued survival depends on uninterrupted access to medicines and quality and affordable health care throughout their entire life. Today’s announcement will help ensure we can sustain treatment over a lifetime and better treat patients with both HIV and TB, two key steps in turning the tide of the global HIV/AIDS pandemic.”
Addressing the need for more affordable second-line ARVs, Mylan and Matrix, a Mylan company, are making available all four drugs – atazanavir (ATV), ritonavir (RTV), tenofovir (TDF), and lamivudine (3TC) – needed to enable once-daily treatment of patients who have developed resistance to standard first-line ARVs. The four drugs will be available in three pills, with tenofovir and lamivudine combined into a single pill. The three pills are being made available today as separate products, with a total price of less than $475 annually. Matrix also will sell the pills together in one package – a “second-line-in-a-box” – at $425 annually starting in 2010. These new products and prices will be available to governments that are members of the Clinton Foundation’s Procurement Consortium across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. TDF+3TC is FDA approved, and ATV and RTV are pending approval by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Mylan Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert J. Coury said, “Ensuring sustainable access to effective treatments in the developing world is a critical element in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. Mylan and Matrix are proud to continue our commitment of creating and introducing innovative and affordable pharmaceutical solutions. This includes our ‘second-line-in-a-box,’ which will reduce patient pill burden and facilitate patient compliance. Our affordable, heat-stable version of ritonavir also represents another advance in the development of products that can withstand environmental conditions in parts of the world where treatment is desperately needed.”
Citing the importance of integrating HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis treatment, President Clinton also announced an agreement with Pfizer to reduce the price and expand the availability of rifabutin, a drug used to treat tuberculosis in patients taking second-line ARVs. This marks CHAI’s first pricing agreement with a research-based pharmaceutical company, as well as its first pricing agreement on tuberculosis. Pfizer will sell the product at $1 per 150 mg dose, or $90 for a full course of treatment over six months. This price will be available throughout developing markets in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death among HIV-positive patients. The WHO reports that over one-third of all individuals living with HIV also are infected with tuberculosis, resulting in over 450,000 deaths in 2007.
Jeffrey B. Kindler, Chairman and CEO of Pfizer stated that, “Pfizer is pursuing numerous global health projects like this one with the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative to find new ways to connect people to the medicines they need. “We are working on innovative solutions to bring health care to customers who have often been neglected in the past and do this in a socially responsible, sustainable, and commercially viable way.”
“Second-line-in-a-box”
The new Matrix product announced today will create a more convenient second-line ARV treatment option. Patients will take three pills once a day instead of five or more pills twice a day (i.e. at least two in the morning and at least three in the evening) as required by alternative regimens. Additionally, the products will include the first ever heat-stable version of ritonavir, which does not require continuous refrigeration for its transport and distribution.
Noting advantages in convenience and affordability, WHO has identified the development of a second-line ARV therapy including atazanavir and ritonavir as a top priority. However, until now, this regimen has been largely unavailable since the existing ritonavir formulation required continuous refrigeration, a major challenge for developing countries with limited infrastructure. Countries have begun to adopt this regimen in national treatment guidelines in anticipation of improved product features and pricing, and the Clinton Foundation expects many more to follow suit to take advantage of the agreements announced today.
If fully adopted, the new products and prices would enable cumulative cost savings of $400 million over the next 5 years, when compared with recent prices paid for alternative regimens. Although only 3 percent of total patients on treatment in low-income and sub-Saharan African countries are taking second-line ARVs today, these patients account for nearly 20 percent of total ARV expenditures because of the high cost of second-line drugs compared to first-line drugs. These percentages will grow steadily in the coming years as increasing numbers of HIV/AIDS patients experience first-line treatment failure. There were between 200,000 and 250,000 second-line patients across the developing world at the end of 2008. This number is expected to double over the next three years.
UNITAID helped to make the second-line ARV price reductions announced today possible through its Second-Line Project, implemented by CHAI in partnership with UNITAID. UNITAID funding for this project has created a reliable market for key second-line medicines by increasing and aggregating demand across 25 beneficiary countries. Predictability of demand encourages suppliers to pursue accelerated R&D on new products and enables them to offer lower prices by achieving economies of scale and reducing production risks.
Treating tuberculosis co-infection in second-line HIV/AIDS patients
The agreement with Pfizer enables a more effective and affordable treatment option for second-line ARV patients who also require treatment for tuberculosis. The treatment of HIV-tuberculosis co-infection is complicated by an undesirable interaction between standard tuberculosis medicines and protease inhibitors – the class of ARVs that represent the backbone of second-line treatment. To counteract this effect, clinicians often adjust a patient’s ARV therapy to increase the normal dose of certain drugs, producing higher levels of toxicity, worse treatment outcomes, and significantly higher costs. Pfizer’s rifabutin does not interfere with protease inhibitors, allowing patients to take ARVs at normal doses.
WHO highlighted the importance of rifabutin by adding it to the Essential Medicines List (EML) in March 2009. The announcement with Pfizer today makes it more affordable to treat TB and HIV simultaneously among patients on second-line ARV therapy, cutting total drug costs by nearly $200 (or 33 percent) over a full six-month course of TB treatment when compared to the most-preferred current treatment option.
Ongoing efforts to ensure the quality and affordability of treatment
The financial support of UNITAID, the United Kingdom Department for International Development, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has enabled the Clinton Foundation to pursue this work. The two agreements announced today represent only the latest steps that the Clinton Foundation and its partners have taken to ensure that the highest quality treatments are available at the most affordable prices.
These agreements reflect CHAI’s commitment to ensuring the availability of high-quality drugs. Pfizer’s rifabutin is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA). Pfizer also is preparing to file with the WHO Prequalification Programme. Matrix has received U.S. FDA approval for its tenofovir/lamivudine combination pill. Matrix has filed dossiers for atazanavir and heat-stable ritonavir with the WHO Prequalification Program and WHO Expert Review Panel (ERP); dossier submissions include data establishing bioequivalence to the reference drugs. Once approved by the WHO ERP, WHO Prequalification Program, or U.S. FDA, products can be purchased by governments using funds from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.
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About the Clinton HIV/AIDS InitiativeSince 2002, the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI), a project of the William J. Clinton Foundation, has assisted countries in implementing large-scale, integrated care, treatment, and prevention programs. CHAI works side-by-side with more than 20 countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean to build systems that will deliver HIV/AIDS treatment and health care by providing governments with technical assistance, leveraging human and financial resources, and facilitating the sharing of best practices across nationwide projects. CHAI also brokers agreements to lower prices of essential medicines and diagnostics, which are now accessible to more than 70 countries, representing more than 90 percent of people living with HIV/AIDS in the developing world. Today, 2 million people are receiving lifesaving treatments purchased under CHAI negotiated agreements. Learn more at www.clintonfoundation.org.
About MylanMylan Inc., which provides products to customers in more than 140 countries and territories, ranks among the leading diversified generics and specialty pharmaceutical companies in the world. The company maintains one of the industry’s broadest – and highest quality – product portfolios, supported by a robust product pipeline; owns a controlling interest in the world’s third largest active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturer; and operates a specialty business focused on respiratory and allergy therapies. For more information, please visit www.mylan.com.
About MatrixMatrix Laboratories Limited, a subsidiary of Mylan, is engaged in the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and finished dosage forms (FDF). Matrix is one of the fastest growing API manufacturers in India and focuses on regulated markets such as the U.S. and the European Union. The company has a wide range of products in central nervous system, anti-bacterial, anti-AIDS, anti-asthmatic, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, anti-fungal, pain management and life style related therapeutic segments. All Matrix API and FDF manufacturing facilities are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For more information, please visit www.matrixlabsindia.com.
About PfizerPfizer Inc: Working together for a healthier world™ Founded in 1849, Pfizer is the world's premier biopharmaceutical company taking new approaches to better health. We discover, develop, manufacture and deliver quality, safe and effective prescription medicines to treat and help prevent disease for both people and animals. We also partner with healthcare providers, governments and local communities around the world to expand access to our medicines and to provide better quality health care and health system support. At Pfizer, colleagues in more than 90 countries work every day to help people stay happier and healthier longer and to reduce the human and economic burden of disease worldwide.
About UNITAIDUNITAID was established to provide additional funding to support existing efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The additional funding comes primarily from a solidarity contribution on airline tickets. Through implementing partners, UNITAID channels its funds to purchasing tests and medicines of assured quality and ensuring fast delivery to the patients who most need them - those in low- and middle-income countries. Thanks to its long-term, predictable funding, UNITAID builds healthier markets for medicines and secures price reductions, which translate into more people treated. In the area of second-line HIV/AIDS medicines, the UNITAID- CHAI partnership has achieved more than 50% cumulative price reductions over the past three years. Launched in September 2006, UNITAID was founded by the governments of Brazil, Chile, France, Norway and the United Kingdom. Today it is supported by 29 countries and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For more information, please visit www.unitaid.eu.
August 6, 2009
Contacts: Clinton Foundation Press Office, 212.348.0360, press@clintonfoundation.org
Marco Winkler, 212.733.9313, marco.winkler@pfizer.com
Michael B. Laffin, 724.514.1968, michael.laffin@mylan.com
President Clinton, Pfizer, and Mylan Announce New Agreements to Lower Prices of Medicines for Patients with Drug-Resistant HIV in Developing Countries
Pfizer commits to improve access through a 60 percent price decrease to $1 per dose on drug to treat TB in patients taking second-line HIV/AIDS medications.
Once-daily four-drug combination for “second-line” treatment of HIV/AIDS available from Matrix, a Mylan company, at $475 annually today and at $425 annually in 2010, 28 percent lower than the current lowest-priced alternative.
Combined, the new agreements on HIV and TB -- the leading cause of death of people living with HIV -- reinforce calls for more integrated prevention and treatment of the two diseases.
New York,NY – President Bill Clinton announced two important and complementary agreements today to enable better, more affordable treatments for patients on second-line antiretroviral (ARV) therapy for HIV/AIDS in the developing world. For the first time, a second-line regimen of four ARVs will be available for under $500 annually. Additionally, the cost of a key drug for treating tuberculosis (TB) in patients using second-line ARVs has been reduced by 60 percent, to $1 per dose.
“Thanks to the work of my Foundation’s HIV/AIDS Initiative, 2 million people living with HIV/AIDS are now able to access lifesaving treatment,” President Clinton said. “But their continued survival depends on uninterrupted access to medicines and quality and affordable health care throughout their entire life. Today’s announcement will help ensure we can sustain treatment over a lifetime and better treat patients with both HIV and TB, two key steps in turning the tide of the global HIV/AIDS pandemic.”
Addressing the need for more affordable second-line ARVs, Mylan and Matrix, a Mylan company, are making available all four drugs – atazanavir (ATV), ritonavir (RTV), tenofovir (TDF), and lamivudine (3TC) – needed to enable once-daily treatment of patients who have developed resistance to standard first-line ARVs. The four drugs will be available in three pills, with tenofovir and lamivudine combined into a single pill. The three pills are being made available today as separate products, with a total price of less than $475 annually. Matrix also will sell the pills together in one package – a “second-line-in-a-box” – at $425 annually starting in 2010. These new products and prices will be available to governments that are members of the Clinton Foundation’s Procurement Consortium across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. TDF+3TC is FDA approved, and ATV and RTV are pending approval by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Mylan Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert J. Coury said, “Ensuring sustainable access to effective treatments in the developing world is a critical element in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. Mylan and Matrix are proud to continue our commitment of creating and introducing innovative and affordable pharmaceutical solutions. This includes our ‘second-line-in-a-box,’ which will reduce patient pill burden and facilitate patient compliance. Our affordable, heat-stable version of ritonavir also represents another advance in the development of products that can withstand environmental conditions in parts of the world where treatment is desperately needed.”
Citing the importance of integrating HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis treatment, President Clinton also announced an agreement with Pfizer to reduce the price and expand the availability of rifabutin, a drug used to treat tuberculosis in patients taking second-line ARVs. This marks CHAI’s first pricing agreement with a research-based pharmaceutical company, as well as its first pricing agreement on tuberculosis. Pfizer will sell the product at $1 per 150 mg dose, or $90 for a full course of treatment over six months. This price will be available throughout developing markets in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death among HIV-positive patients. The WHO reports that over one-third of all individuals living with HIV also are infected with tuberculosis, resulting in over 450,000 deaths in 2007.
Jeffrey B. Kindler, Chairman and CEO of Pfizer stated that, “Pfizer is pursuing numerous global health projects like this one with the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative to find new ways to connect people to the medicines they need. “We are working on innovative solutions to bring health care to customers who have often been neglected in the past and do this in a socially responsible, sustainable, and commercially viable way.”
“Second-line-in-a-box”
The new Matrix product announced today will create a more convenient second-line ARV treatment option. Patients will take three pills once a day instead of five or more pills twice a day (i.e. at least two in the morning and at least three in the evening) as required by alternative regimens. Additionally, the products will include the first ever heat-stable version of ritonavir, which does not require continuous refrigeration for its transport and distribution.
Noting advantages in convenience and affordability, WHO has identified the development of a second-line ARV therapy including atazanavir and ritonavir as a top priority. However, until now, this regimen has been largely unavailable since the existing ritonavir formulation required continuous refrigeration, a major challenge for developing countries with limited infrastructure. Countries have begun to adopt this regimen in national treatment guidelines in anticipation of improved product features and pricing, and the Clinton Foundation expects many more to follow suit to take advantage of the agreements announced today.
If fully adopted, the new products and prices would enable cumulative cost savings of $400 million over the next 5 years, when compared with recent prices paid for alternative regimens. Although only 3 percent of total patients on treatment in low-income and sub-Saharan African countries are taking second-line ARVs today, these patients account for nearly 20 percent of total ARV expenditures because of the high cost of second-line drugs compared to first-line drugs. These percentages will grow steadily in the coming years as increasing numbers of HIV/AIDS patients experience first-line treatment failure. There were between 200,000 and 250,000 second-line patients across the developing world at the end of 2008. This number is expected to double over the next three years.
UNITAID helped to make the second-line ARV price reductions announced today possible through its Second-Line Project, implemented by CHAI in partnership with UNITAID. UNITAID funding for this project has created a reliable market for key second-line medicines by increasing and aggregating demand across 25 beneficiary countries. Predictability of demand encourages suppliers to pursue accelerated R&D on new products and enables them to offer lower prices by achieving economies of scale and reducing production risks.
Treating tuberculosis co-infection in second-line HIV/AIDS patients
The agreement with Pfizer enables a more effective and affordable treatment option for second-line ARV patients who also require treatment for tuberculosis. The treatment of HIV-tuberculosis co-infection is complicated by an undesirable interaction between standard tuberculosis medicines and protease inhibitors – the class of ARVs that represent the backbone of second-line treatment. To counteract this effect, clinicians often adjust a patient’s ARV therapy to increase the normal dose of certain drugs, producing higher levels of toxicity, worse treatment outcomes, and significantly higher costs. Pfizer’s rifabutin does not interfere with protease inhibitors, allowing patients to take ARVs at normal doses.
WHO highlighted the importance of rifabutin by adding it to the Essential Medicines List (EML) in March 2009. The announcement with Pfizer today makes it more affordable to treat TB and HIV simultaneously among patients on second-line ARV therapy, cutting total drug costs by nearly $200 (or 33 percent) over a full six-month course of TB treatment when compared to the most-preferred current treatment option.
Ongoing efforts to ensure the quality and affordability of treatment
The financial support of UNITAID, the United Kingdom Department for International Development, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has enabled the Clinton Foundation to pursue this work. The two agreements announced today represent only the latest steps that the Clinton Foundation and its partners have taken to ensure that the highest quality treatments are available at the most affordable prices.
These agreements reflect CHAI’s commitment to ensuring the availability of high-quality drugs. Pfizer’s rifabutin is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA). Pfizer also is preparing to file with the WHO Prequalification Programme. Matrix has received U.S. FDA approval for its tenofovir/lamivudine combination pill. Matrix has filed dossiers for atazanavir and heat-stable ritonavir with the WHO Prequalification Program and WHO Expert Review Panel (ERP); dossier submissions include data establishing bioequivalence to the reference drugs. Once approved by the WHO ERP, WHO Prequalification Program, or U.S. FDA, products can be purchased by governments using funds from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.
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About the Clinton HIV/AIDS InitiativeSince 2002, the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI), a project of the William J. Clinton Foundation, has assisted countries in implementing large-scale, integrated care, treatment, and prevention programs. CHAI works side-by-side with more than 20 countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean to build systems that will deliver HIV/AIDS treatment and health care by providing governments with technical assistance, leveraging human and financial resources, and facilitating the sharing of best practices across nationwide projects. CHAI also brokers agreements to lower prices of essential medicines and diagnostics, which are now accessible to more than 70 countries, representing more than 90 percent of people living with HIV/AIDS in the developing world. Today, 2 million people are receiving lifesaving treatments purchased under CHAI negotiated agreements. Learn more at www.clintonfoundation.org.
About MylanMylan Inc., which provides products to customers in more than 140 countries and territories, ranks among the leading diversified generics and specialty pharmaceutical companies in the world. The company maintains one of the industry’s broadest – and highest quality – product portfolios, supported by a robust product pipeline; owns a controlling interest in the world’s third largest active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturer; and operates a specialty business focused on respiratory and allergy therapies. For more information, please visit www.mylan.com.
About MatrixMatrix Laboratories Limited, a subsidiary of Mylan, is engaged in the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and finished dosage forms (FDF). Matrix is one of the fastest growing API manufacturers in India and focuses on regulated markets such as the U.S. and the European Union. The company has a wide range of products in central nervous system, anti-bacterial, anti-AIDS, anti-asthmatic, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, anti-fungal, pain management and life style related therapeutic segments. All Matrix API and FDF manufacturing facilities are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For more information, please visit www.matrixlabsindia.com.
About PfizerPfizer Inc: Working together for a healthier world™ Founded in 1849, Pfizer is the world's premier biopharmaceutical company taking new approaches to better health. We discover, develop, manufacture and deliver quality, safe and effective prescription medicines to treat and help prevent disease for both people and animals. We also partner with healthcare providers, governments and local communities around the world to expand access to our medicines and to provide better quality health care and health system support. At Pfizer, colleagues in more than 90 countries work every day to help people stay happier and healthier longer and to reduce the human and economic burden of disease worldwide.
About UNITAIDUNITAID was established to provide additional funding to support existing efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The additional funding comes primarily from a solidarity contribution on airline tickets. Through implementing partners, UNITAID channels its funds to purchasing tests and medicines of assured quality and ensuring fast delivery to the patients who most need them - those in low- and middle-income countries. Thanks to its long-term, predictable funding, UNITAID builds healthier markets for medicines and secures price reductions, which translate into more people treated. In the area of second-line HIV/AIDS medicines, the UNITAID- CHAI partnership has achieved more than 50% cumulative price reductions over the past three years. Launched in September 2006, UNITAID was founded by the governments of Brazil, Chile, France, Norway and the United Kingdom. Today it is supported by 29 countries and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For more information, please visit www.unitaid.eu.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Clinton Global Initiative University Announces Winners of the 2009 Outstanding Commitment Awards
For Immediate Release: May 29, 2009
Contact: Clinton Foundation Press Office, 212.348.0360
press@clintonfoundation.org
New York, NY - Today, the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U), in partnership with the Pat Tillman Foundation and the Wal-Mart Foundation, announced the winners of seventy-eight student grants through the CGI U Outstanding Commitment Awards. The Pat Tillman Foundation and the Wal-Mart Foundation have made $400,000 available to exceptional students who have developed innovative, high-impact Commitments to Action aimed at improving communities and lives around the world.
“CGI U offers college students a space to create positive change in local communities or on a global scale,” said Robert Harrison, CEO of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI). “Funding provided by the Pat Tillman Foundation and the Wal-Mart Foundation for the Outstanding Commitment Awards will ensure that these exceptional commitments are able to achieve the impact these extraordinary students have envisioned.”
Winners will receive funding to implement their CGI U Commitments to Action, which are new, specific, and measurable plans to address a current global challenges across the five focus areas of Education, Energy and Climate Change, Global Health, Peace & Human Rights, and Poverty Alleviation. To date, over 1,700 commitments have been made by students, universities, and youth organizations. To learn more, please visit www.cgiu.org
The CGI U Outstanding Commitment Awards were piloted in CGI U’s inaugural year to provide financial support to innovative, student-driven initiatives. This year, both The Pat Tillman Foundation and The Wal-Mart Foundation have committed $200,000 each to fund student projects in CGI U’s five focus areas. The awards recognize students and student organizations from a wide variety of higher education institutions including community colleges, historically black colleges and universities, Ivy League schools, religious schools, tribal colleges, and state schools.
"When given the means every young person has the potential to make a significant impact in their community and our world," says Pat Tillman Foundation Chair Marie Tillman. "Through this partnership, the Pat Tillman Foundation is able to further its mission of supporting young people dedicated to citizen service by using the Tillman Social Action Fund to put resources directly in the hands of students and empower them to take action."
"Wal-Mart is focused on sustainability at every level and the Wal-Mart Foundation is proud to partner with CGI U to reach hundreds of students and university officials who share our commitment to changing the environment for generations to come," said Margaret McKenna, president of the Wal-Mart Foundation.
The seventy-eight student projects being funded are diverse in their scope and approach. Aaron Johnson and his colleagues at Howard University are committing to assist in the demolition and new construction of a theater in an impoverished region in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. Together with Howard University’s Engineers without Borders chapter, these students will work with the Istituto di Cultural Brasile Italia Europa to employ construction practices that are ecologically sustainable while maintaining the historical and cultural heritage of the community.
Through the Smallholder Farmers Rural Radio, Nnaemeka Chiediebere Ikegwuonu of the University of Pavia, Italy plans to reach 3.5 million poor rural farmers living in isolated communities of Imo State, Nigeria with agricultural information in their native language. The project aims to reduce poverty in rural communities and accelerate economic empowerment of small farmers at the household level. Broadcast information will include techniques in crop production, livestock rearing, soil management, and small irrigation
Finally, Ashifi Gogo, a graduate student at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth, is turning ordinary cell phones into potentially life-saving devices. Gogo is partnering with cell phone companies and key public health stakeholders in Ghana and Nigeria to create a system where any consumer with access to a cell phone can send a free text message to drug manufacturers to verify that their medication is real and not counterfeit. Gogo’s efforts will target counterfeited malarial medication in particular, which is thought to be responsible for some 200,000 preventable malaria deaths.
To view a full list of all 2009 CGI U Outstanding Commitment Award winners, please visit: http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/Document.Doc?id=461.
###
About the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) CGI U, a project of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), challenges college students and universities to address global problems with practical, innovative solutions. At CGI U, young people and universities do more than simply discuss the world’s challenges – they take real, concrete steps towards solving them. To date, 1,700 commitments have been made by students, universities, and youth organizations.
About the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI Annual Meetings have brought together more than 100 current and former heads of state, 14 Nobel Peace Prize laureates, hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations, major philanthropists, directors of the most effective nongovernmental organizations, and prominent members of the media. These CGI members have made more than 1,400 commitments valued at $46 billion, which have already improved the lives of 200 million people in 150 countries. Commitments made at the 2008 Annual Meeting are expected to affect almost 160 million people. The CGI community also includes CGI University (CGI U), a forum to engage college students in global citizenship; CGI Asia; and MyCommitment.org, an online portal where anybody can make their own Commitment to Action. CGI will hold its Fifth Annual Meeting September 22-25, 2009, in New York City. For more information, visit www.clintonglobalinitiative.org
About the Pat Tillman FoundationThe Pat Tillman Foundation was created by Pat's family and friends, following his death in April 2004. Following his career as a fan favorite with the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, Pat joined the U.S. Army and was killed during active duty in Eastern Afghanistan. As a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, the Foundation's goal and mission is to carry forward Pat's legacy of leadership and civic action by supporting future generations of leaders who embody the ideal of citizen service. Through military or civilian service an entire generation of youth has the capacity to improve their communities and their country. The Pat Tillman Foundation provides them with the resources and support in order to make a difference.
About Philanthropy at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) and The Wal-Mart Foundation are proud to support the charitable causes that are important to customers and associates in their own neighborhoods. Through its philanthropic programs and partnerships, The Wal-Mart Foundation funds initiatives focused on creating opportunities in education, workforce development, economic opportunity, environmental sustainability, and health and wellness. From February 1, 2008 through January 31, 2009, Wal-Mart – and its domestic and international Foundations – gave more than $423 million in cash and in-kind gifts globally. To learn more, visit www.walmartfoundation.org
Contact: Clinton Foundation Press Office, 212.348.0360
press@clintonfoundation.org
New York, NY - Today, the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U), in partnership with the Pat Tillman Foundation and the Wal-Mart Foundation, announced the winners of seventy-eight student grants through the CGI U Outstanding Commitment Awards. The Pat Tillman Foundation and the Wal-Mart Foundation have made $400,000 available to exceptional students who have developed innovative, high-impact Commitments to Action aimed at improving communities and lives around the world.
“CGI U offers college students a space to create positive change in local communities or on a global scale,” said Robert Harrison, CEO of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI). “Funding provided by the Pat Tillman Foundation and the Wal-Mart Foundation for the Outstanding Commitment Awards will ensure that these exceptional commitments are able to achieve the impact these extraordinary students have envisioned.”
Winners will receive funding to implement their CGI U Commitments to Action, which are new, specific, and measurable plans to address a current global challenges across the five focus areas of Education, Energy and Climate Change, Global Health, Peace & Human Rights, and Poverty Alleviation. To date, over 1,700 commitments have been made by students, universities, and youth organizations. To learn more, please visit www.cgiu.org
The CGI U Outstanding Commitment Awards were piloted in CGI U’s inaugural year to provide financial support to innovative, student-driven initiatives. This year, both The Pat Tillman Foundation and The Wal-Mart Foundation have committed $200,000 each to fund student projects in CGI U’s five focus areas. The awards recognize students and student organizations from a wide variety of higher education institutions including community colleges, historically black colleges and universities, Ivy League schools, religious schools, tribal colleges, and state schools.
"When given the means every young person has the potential to make a significant impact in their community and our world," says Pat Tillman Foundation Chair Marie Tillman. "Through this partnership, the Pat Tillman Foundation is able to further its mission of supporting young people dedicated to citizen service by using the Tillman Social Action Fund to put resources directly in the hands of students and empower them to take action."
"Wal-Mart is focused on sustainability at every level and the Wal-Mart Foundation is proud to partner with CGI U to reach hundreds of students and university officials who share our commitment to changing the environment for generations to come," said Margaret McKenna, president of the Wal-Mart Foundation.
The seventy-eight student projects being funded are diverse in their scope and approach. Aaron Johnson and his colleagues at Howard University are committing to assist in the demolition and new construction of a theater in an impoverished region in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. Together with Howard University’s Engineers without Borders chapter, these students will work with the Istituto di Cultural Brasile Italia Europa to employ construction practices that are ecologically sustainable while maintaining the historical and cultural heritage of the community.
Through the Smallholder Farmers Rural Radio, Nnaemeka Chiediebere Ikegwuonu of the University of Pavia, Italy plans to reach 3.5 million poor rural farmers living in isolated communities of Imo State, Nigeria with agricultural information in their native language. The project aims to reduce poverty in rural communities and accelerate economic empowerment of small farmers at the household level. Broadcast information will include techniques in crop production, livestock rearing, soil management, and small irrigation
Finally, Ashifi Gogo, a graduate student at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth, is turning ordinary cell phones into potentially life-saving devices. Gogo is partnering with cell phone companies and key public health stakeholders in Ghana and Nigeria to create a system where any consumer with access to a cell phone can send a free text message to drug manufacturers to verify that their medication is real and not counterfeit. Gogo’s efforts will target counterfeited malarial medication in particular, which is thought to be responsible for some 200,000 preventable malaria deaths.
To view a full list of all 2009 CGI U Outstanding Commitment Award winners, please visit: http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/Document.Doc?id=461.
###
About the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) CGI U, a project of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), challenges college students and universities to address global problems with practical, innovative solutions. At CGI U, young people and universities do more than simply discuss the world’s challenges – they take real, concrete steps towards solving them. To date, 1,700 commitments have been made by students, universities, and youth organizations.
About the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI Annual Meetings have brought together more than 100 current and former heads of state, 14 Nobel Peace Prize laureates, hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations, major philanthropists, directors of the most effective nongovernmental organizations, and prominent members of the media. These CGI members have made more than 1,400 commitments valued at $46 billion, which have already improved the lives of 200 million people in 150 countries. Commitments made at the 2008 Annual Meeting are expected to affect almost 160 million people. The CGI community also includes CGI University (CGI U), a forum to engage college students in global citizenship; CGI Asia; and MyCommitment.org, an online portal where anybody can make their own Commitment to Action. CGI will hold its Fifth Annual Meeting September 22-25, 2009, in New York City. For more information, visit www.clintonglobalinitiative.org
About the Pat Tillman FoundationThe Pat Tillman Foundation was created by Pat's family and friends, following his death in April 2004. Following his career as a fan favorite with the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, Pat joined the U.S. Army and was killed during active duty in Eastern Afghanistan. As a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, the Foundation's goal and mission is to carry forward Pat's legacy of leadership and civic action by supporting future generations of leaders who embody the ideal of citizen service. Through military or civilian service an entire generation of youth has the capacity to improve their communities and their country. The Pat Tillman Foundation provides them with the resources and support in order to make a difference.
About Philanthropy at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) and The Wal-Mart Foundation are proud to support the charitable causes that are important to customers and associates in their own neighborhoods. Through its philanthropic programs and partnerships, The Wal-Mart Foundation funds initiatives focused on creating opportunities in education, workforce development, economic opportunity, environmental sustainability, and health and wellness. From February 1, 2008 through January 31, 2009, Wal-Mart – and its domestic and international Foundations – gave more than $423 million in cash and in-kind gifts globally. To learn more, visit www.walmartfoundation.org
Monday, April 27, 2009
Clinton Foundation Press Office: 212.348.0360
For Immediate Release April 27, 2009
Two Million People Now Accessing Medicines Under the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative’s Pricing Agreements
The increase reflects an annual calculation of the number of patients benefiting from agreements; the 2008 estimate is based on agreements, in partnership with UNITAID, completed since 2007.
The Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative also is helping to support more than 195,000 children living with HIV with medicines funded by UNITAID, an increase of more than 61,000 since last year.
New York, NY - The Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI), a project of the William J. Clinton Foundation, today announced updates that illustrate the progress of its work. As of the beginning of 2009, 2.0 million people are benefiting from medicines purchased under the agreements of CHAI. More than 70 countries have access to prices that CHAI has negotiated for drugs and diagnostics - representing more than 90 percent of people living with HIV globally.
In addition, CHAI’s Pediatric Program, in partnership with UNITAID, an international organization which provides additional funding to support efforts against HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, supports the treatment of more than 195,000 children, more than two-thirds the total number of children on treatment in the world.
“It is an exciting day to witness the progress my Foundation has made to fight HIV/AIDS in the developing world," President Clinton said. "Driving down prices and driving uptake on the ground, CHAI helps make it possible for more adults and children to access life-saving medicines and tests they need."
Under the leadership of President Clinton and at the invitation of national governments, CHAI works to expand access to high-quality HIV/AIDS care and treatment by improving the efficiency of commodity marketplaces and by supporting governments to develop robust national HIV/AIDS programs. Since its inception in 2002, CHAI has mobilized technical and business expertise to help governments make better use of available resources to save more lives. More than 600 people work and volunteer for CHAI in more than 30 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
BACKGROUND
The 2.0 million patients that have gained access to treatment have done so through the collective efforts of governments, donors, manufacturers, and other partners, including CHAI. Each benefiting patient lives in a country which participates in CHAI’s Procurement Consortium and is taking antiretroviral medicines (ARVs) that were purchased below ceiling prices that CHAI has negotiated with partner manufacturers.
CHAI updates the number of people accessing these prices on a yearly basis. In calculating this number, CHAI uses a conservative methodology. CHAI calculates the number of patients benefitting in two ways. First, where complete order data is provided by the country’s national government, CHAI determines which ARVs were purchased from partner suppliers at or below negotiated ceiling prices. CHAI then uses the order quantities for each ARV to calculate the implied number of patients taking each individual drug. CHAI ensures that only unique patients are counted by using the country’s national treatment guidelines to exclude certain single-dose ARVs that are taken in combination with other ARVs by the same patients. Further, to avoid double counting, CHAI only uses order data from the past 12 months.
The second approach to estimating the number of beneficiaries uses government data on the total number of patients on treatment by ARV regimen. CHAI calculates the number of patients who are on regimens which include at least one ARV that is being purchased from partner suppliers and below negotiated ceiling prices. Where full order data is not provided, CHAI gathers information on the latest ARV suppliers and purchase prices for each drug and assumes these same prices and suppliers apply to all orders placed that year.
After both calculations are made, a final beneficiary figure is determined for each country based on which method’s data are more complete and reliable. In cases for which both data sets are deemed equally reliable, the lesser of the two figures is chosen to be more conservative.
CHAI’s Pediatrics Program has worked with national governments to nearly triple the number of children on ARV treatment globally since 2005 — a dramatic improvement over the historically low rates of pediatric coverage.
In 2004, two million children were infected with HIV/AIDS, yet the medicines used to treat children cost four times more than those for adults and were harder to administer, making treatment difficult and expensive. As a result, only one in 40 children in need of treatment was receiving it. CHAI established a Global Pediatric Program in 2005 to improve access for children.
In 2006, CHAI partnered with UNITAID to increase funding available for pediatric treatment to catalyze uptake and reduce prices of needed medicines and tests. This resulted in a 90 percent price reduction for pediatric fixed-dose combinations, the accelerated distribution of an easily dispensable, child-friendly medicine, and the rapid uptake of an improved test to diagnose HIV-positive infants. CHAI also works with the governments of 34 countries to establish and strengthen the systems required to deliver high-quality health care to children by increasing the number of sites able to provide HIV/AIDS care for children; training and mentoring health care workers; and supporting national planning and resource mobilization for pediatric HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment.
About the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative
Since 2002, the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI), a project of the William J. Clinton Foundation, has assisted countries in implementing large-scale, integrated care, treatment and prevention programs. CHAI works side-by-side with more than 20 countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean to build systems that will deliver HIV/AIDS treatment and healthcare by providing governments with technical assistance, leveraging human and financial resources, and facilitating the sharing of best practices across nationwide projects. CHAI also brokers agreements to lower prices of essential medicines and diagnostics, which are now accessible to more than 70 countries, representing more than 90 percent of people living with HIV/AIDS in the developing world. Learn more at www.clintonfoundation.org.
Clinton Foundation New York Office: 55 W125th Street, New York, NY 10027
For Immediate Release April 27, 2009
Two Million People Now Accessing Medicines Under the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative’s Pricing Agreements
The increase reflects an annual calculation of the number of patients benefiting from agreements; the 2008 estimate is based on agreements, in partnership with UNITAID, completed since 2007.
The Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative also is helping to support more than 195,000 children living with HIV with medicines funded by UNITAID, an increase of more than 61,000 since last year.
New York, NY - The Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI), a project of the William J. Clinton Foundation, today announced updates that illustrate the progress of its work. As of the beginning of 2009, 2.0 million people are benefiting from medicines purchased under the agreements of CHAI. More than 70 countries have access to prices that CHAI has negotiated for drugs and diagnostics - representing more than 90 percent of people living with HIV globally.
In addition, CHAI’s Pediatric Program, in partnership with UNITAID, an international organization which provides additional funding to support efforts against HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, supports the treatment of more than 195,000 children, more than two-thirds the total number of children on treatment in the world.
“It is an exciting day to witness the progress my Foundation has made to fight HIV/AIDS in the developing world," President Clinton said. "Driving down prices and driving uptake on the ground, CHAI helps make it possible for more adults and children to access life-saving medicines and tests they need."
Under the leadership of President Clinton and at the invitation of national governments, CHAI works to expand access to high-quality HIV/AIDS care and treatment by improving the efficiency of commodity marketplaces and by supporting governments to develop robust national HIV/AIDS programs. Since its inception in 2002, CHAI has mobilized technical and business expertise to help governments make better use of available resources to save more lives. More than 600 people work and volunteer for CHAI in more than 30 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
BACKGROUND
The 2.0 million patients that have gained access to treatment have done so through the collective efforts of governments, donors, manufacturers, and other partners, including CHAI. Each benefiting patient lives in a country which participates in CHAI’s Procurement Consortium and is taking antiretroviral medicines (ARVs) that were purchased below ceiling prices that CHAI has negotiated with partner manufacturers.
CHAI updates the number of people accessing these prices on a yearly basis. In calculating this number, CHAI uses a conservative methodology. CHAI calculates the number of patients benefitting in two ways. First, where complete order data is provided by the country’s national government, CHAI determines which ARVs were purchased from partner suppliers at or below negotiated ceiling prices. CHAI then uses the order quantities for each ARV to calculate the implied number of patients taking each individual drug. CHAI ensures that only unique patients are counted by using the country’s national treatment guidelines to exclude certain single-dose ARVs that are taken in combination with other ARVs by the same patients. Further, to avoid double counting, CHAI only uses order data from the past 12 months.
The second approach to estimating the number of beneficiaries uses government data on the total number of patients on treatment by ARV regimen. CHAI calculates the number of patients who are on regimens which include at least one ARV that is being purchased from partner suppliers and below negotiated ceiling prices. Where full order data is not provided, CHAI gathers information on the latest ARV suppliers and purchase prices for each drug and assumes these same prices and suppliers apply to all orders placed that year.
After both calculations are made, a final beneficiary figure is determined for each country based on which method’s data are more complete and reliable. In cases for which both data sets are deemed equally reliable, the lesser of the two figures is chosen to be more conservative.
CHAI’s Pediatrics Program has worked with national governments to nearly triple the number of children on ARV treatment globally since 2005 — a dramatic improvement over the historically low rates of pediatric coverage.
In 2004, two million children were infected with HIV/AIDS, yet the medicines used to treat children cost four times more than those for adults and were harder to administer, making treatment difficult and expensive. As a result, only one in 40 children in need of treatment was receiving it. CHAI established a Global Pediatric Program in 2005 to improve access for children.
In 2006, CHAI partnered with UNITAID to increase funding available for pediatric treatment to catalyze uptake and reduce prices of needed medicines and tests. This resulted in a 90 percent price reduction for pediatric fixed-dose combinations, the accelerated distribution of an easily dispensable, child-friendly medicine, and the rapid uptake of an improved test to diagnose HIV-positive infants. CHAI also works with the governments of 34 countries to establish and strengthen the systems required to deliver high-quality health care to children by increasing the number of sites able to provide HIV/AIDS care for children; training and mentoring health care workers; and supporting national planning and resource mobilization for pediatric HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment.
About the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative
Since 2002, the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI), a project of the William J. Clinton Foundation, has assisted countries in implementing large-scale, integrated care, treatment and prevention programs. CHAI works side-by-side with more than 20 countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean to build systems that will deliver HIV/AIDS treatment and healthcare by providing governments with technical assistance, leveraging human and financial resources, and facilitating the sharing of best practices across nationwide projects. CHAI also brokers agreements to lower prices of essential medicines and diagnostics, which are now accessible to more than 70 countries, representing more than 90 percent of people living with HIV/AIDS in the developing world. Learn more at www.clintonfoundation.org.
Clinton Foundation New York Office: 55 W125th Street, New York, NY 10027
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