Novartis China: Speeding up the development of medical and health services in Xinjiang by “Health Express Project”

Company Profile
Novartis, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is the world’s leading pharmaceutical and healthcare company. It has 136,000 full-time employees and   sells its products to more than 150 countries and regions in the world. Since it entered China 27 years ago, Novartis has grown from a pharmaceutical company into a pharmaceutical and healthcare industry leader with its diversified business covering innovative patented medicines, eye care, generic drug, consumer healthcare and vaccines.
Challenge
China’s 12 western provinces and regions remain relatively underdeveloped in economy and limited investment of public health. This has not only brought great challenges to the development of their public health and hindered the further development of local economy. This problem is especially challenging in Xinjiang. In 2010, the Ministry of Health issued Opinions on Supporting the Leapfrog Development of Medical Healthcare in Xinjiang, which points out that China will implement a new plan on supporting the development of health in Xinjiang from next year, and establishes the basic medical and healthcare system covering every urban and rural citizen by 2020  ,promoting the main health indicators in Xinjiang to reach the national average level .
As a leading multinational company in the realm of medicine and healthcare, how Novartis China will respond to this policy, solve this social problem and help improve the health education and healthcare in Xinjiang? All of these practices are   testing Novartis’ ability to further integrate itself into the local markets.
Solution
Upholding its long-term commitment to China and initiatives to support the health development in Xinjiang, Novartis fully commenced its “Health Express Project” in 2010, which mainly supports public health services in Xinjiang through the enhancement of health care professionals’ quality and public health education.
In terms of the enhancement of healthcare services, Novartis carried out “Spring Rain Project” to provide training for health care providers and improve their health care services. In terms of health education, Novartis launched “Esquel-Novartis Health Express Tour” project to increase public health knowledge among primary and secondary students and the public in Xinjiang. Late in the project, it will support Xinjiang health and education departments to carry out health teacher training program in the local counties. In addition, the full-time health educators will organize health education lectures for adults.
Achievements
Novartis’ Health Express Project has created many firsts in Xinjiang. By March, 2014, the Spring Rain Project provided training for more than 1100 medical workers. Meanwhile, Novartis’ full-time health educators gave health education and lectures to over 1.4 million students and over 60,000 adults.
Novartis’ medical and health support, which have gone into the local people’s life and the future development, has not only helped the company set a good corporate image among the local people, but also gained high recognition from the national media, governments and other stakeholders.
Prospect
At Novartis, it is an objective of its CSR strategy to expand the availability of medical health. Its long-term project “Health Express” will continue its support in Xinjiang to address health care challenges for the local people in a deeper and broader way.