- In Egypt, associates from Novartis Egypt (Novartis Pharma S.A.E and its divisions: Oncology, Sandoz Egypt and Alcon) are giving back to their communities through a widespread Social Responsibility Blood Donation campaign in partnership with governmental and non-governmental entities
- Community Partnership Day highlights Novartis’ commitment to make a positive impact in the communities where associates live and work
Cairo, May 6, 2018 – In celebration of Novartis’ 22nd annual Community Partnership Day (CPD), Novartis associates in Egypt join their colleagues around the world to give back to their communities. Overall, more than 23,900 Novartis associates across 6 continents and 58 countries are supporting non-profit and local organizations, representing more than 191,200 hours of combined community service
In Egypt, Novartis associates are coming together to work on a widespread Social Responsibility Blood Donation Campaign, hand in hand with three local organizations, namely the National Blood Transfusion Service Center, Resala Charity Association, and “Law A’andak Dam” volunteer group.
The campaign comes as a much needed solution to the relatively low rate of blood donations in Egypt (10-19.9 for every 1000 people). The campaign is set to take place in Novartis Pharma S.A.E premises and its divisions, raising awareness about the crucial role blood donation plays in healthcare. Novartis Associates will either donate blood or fundraise to buy items for the benefit of the blood drive.
“The National Blood Transfusion Services Center is the only government entity responsible for the collection of blood and distributing it to government hospitals. This helps save the lives of many patients suffering from diseases such as Thalassemia and those who need constant blood transfusions due to accidents. The cooperation between Novartis Egypt and the Center contributes greatly to enriching the blood bank’s supply. The blood is tested with every donation, so employees would be getting a mini-checkup every time they donate blood,” said Mamdouh Al Khawaga, Public Relations Officer at the National Blood Transfusion Center at the Ministry of Health. He continued, “One of the current challenges we have is that current donations amount to one million bags per year, which is only one third of the supply needed. Therefore, it is necessary to educate people about the benefits and importance of blood donation, which has been shown to benefit the body by revitalizing the production of red blood cells and activating blood circulation.”
“It’s our pleasure to be part of this collaboration with Novartis Egypt, supporting blood donations in Egypt,” said Reham Meheisen, Head of Media and Communications at Resala Charity Association. “Stemming from our belief in the strength of community and corporate partnerships, we are happy to support this campaign with Novartis. Our partnership comes as one of many we have had over the years; ones that will continue on for years to come.
She continued, “Resala maintains a database of over 60,000 donors in its “Save a Life” division. The database covers all of Egypt’s governorates and the blood types available in each, making it ready at any given time to save patients regardless of their location or the rarity of their blood type through it’s hotline 01110019450. Resala also conducts monthly internal donation campaigns alongside its external ones, that are held in different locations across the country in partnership with the National Blood Transfusion Center (NBTC), as well as lifetime sponsorship of blood for Thalassemia patients.
“On behalf of Law3andakDam.com, I’m happy to say that we are very pleased to be collaborating with Novartis on such campaign. Blood shortage has been a serious issue over the past few years, and joining forces with Novartis will help shed light on the importance of blood donations, and address the issue,” said Hisham Kharma, Music Composer and Founder of Law3andakDam.com, “Law3andakDam.com was founded with the aim of bridging the gap between blood donors and patients in need of blood through social media and online portals. We’ve previously collaborated with several entities such as the National Blood Bank, and the collaboration with a renowned healthcare company like Novartis with its tools and resources and reach will definitely help us raise awareness and save more lives.”
“While every day at Novartis we are working to improve people’s lives as an integral part of our mission, the CPD is a perfect opportunity for us to give back directly to our community, and to encourage our associates to help their communities in a more direct and distinctive manner that goes above and beyond regular activities,” says Dr. Dr. Basyouni Abuseif, CPO Head and Country President for Novartis Egypt. “These activities help give us more perspective regarding the needs of the community and how to address them, which drives us to be even more passionate about our work, and working alongside these groups to improve lives.”
About Novartis
Novartis provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, cost-saving generic and biosimilar pharmaceuticals and eye care. Novartis has leading positions globally in each of these areas. In 2017, the Group achieved net sales of USD 49.1 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted to approximately USD 9.0 billion. Novartis Group companies employ approximately 124,000 full-time-equivalent associates. Novartis products are sold in approximately 155 countries around the world. For more information, please visit https://www.novartis.com.
Novartis Egypt Media Relations
E-mail: [email protected]
Reem El Adl, Head of Corporate Communications and Patient Advocacy
Shahista Hussien, Corporate Communications Manager
تشارك "نوفارتس مصر" أكثر من ٢٣ الف موظف بالشركة في جميع انحاء العالم الأحتفال بيوم المشاركة المجتمعية السنوي الثاني والعشرين بحملة مكبرة للتبرع بالدم
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