ERCS and Novartis to deliver quality medicines at affordable cost

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 28% of deaths in Ethiopia were due to non-communicable diseases (NCD) in 2014. Deaths from NCD are expected to increase by 27% in Africa over the next decade; resulting in approximately 28 million additional deaths. Tobacco use, lack of physical activity, excess use of alcohol and unhealthy diets are the major risk factors for NCD.

Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) and Novartis, a Switzerland based Pharmaceutical Company, are working together to minimize the negative impact of NCD on health and economic conditions for the Ethiopian people. ERCS and Novartis have partnered to deliver quality medicines at a lower price, which will be available through ERCS pharmacies.

Director of ERCS Health and Pharmaceutical Services, Ato Mihret Tamir, stated “ERCS’s main objective is to ensure the availability, accessibility and affordability of essential drugs to our community. Working together with Novartis provides an opportunity for both of us to achieve our social responsibility by making available medicines to lower income patients at an affordable price”.

The Memorandum of Understanding and the distribution agreement signed by ERCS and Novartis is to procure 15 patent medicines for four diseases: breast cancer, hypertension, diabetes and asthma. The cost will be 1USD per month per treatment.

Along with the distribution of the medicines the two organizations have agreed to work together in awareness creation and capacity building to help ERCS pharmacists deliver quality services. Training was delivered from 29 October – 3 November 2018 on Supply Chain Management and Quality System to ERCS pharmaceutical professionals.

“What Novartis is doing is giving back to the society. We try to support in areas where we make sure that people can afford our medicines” said Kingsley Onedibe, Senior Global Life Cycle Program Lead at the Novartis.