Health & Healthcare

A majority of rare diseases are usually present from birth, associated with lifelong suffering and a shorter lifespan, and do not have a treatment option. At Shire, we have long believed we have a unique responsibility to champion underserved patient communities.

Shire is the global leader in serving patients with rare diseases. We strive to develop innovative therapies across a core of rare disease areas, supplemented by diversified capabilities in highly specialized conditions. We feel a strong sense of urgency to address the high unmet medical needs of these patient communities.

Imagine an innovation that reduces the accumulation of bacteria the moment germs hit a surface by 90–95 percent without the use of toxic chemicals that can lead to the development of resistant organisms. It may sound like something straight out of a science fiction novel, but it’s real—and Sappi paper helps make it possible.

A new report jointly commissioned by WBCSD, WaterAid and the UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate, uncovers key areas where businesses can drive substantial progress on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) across supply chains.

Thank you to our friends who ran a Virtual 10K with us from August 3-7 this year. The combined impact of our $10,000 Fund partners, runners, Whole Foods Market® Team Members, virtual runners and more, this year added up to $140,000 raised for impoverished women all over the world to start their own businesses.

Aramark (NYSE: ARMK), a global leader in food, facilities and uniforms, announced today that it will partner with The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to conduct a series of plant-based culinary trainings over the next six months as part of its ongoing efforts to develop strategies that increase plant-based food offerings for consumers. Currently, as part of its Healthy for Life 20 By 20 commitment with the American Heart Association, 30 percent of the main dishes Aramark serves across its dining operations in Healthcare, Higher Education and Business Dining are vegan or vegetarian, and 10 percent feature whole grains as their main ingredient.

Earlier this year, the China Women's Development Foundation (CWDF) held a launch ceremony for the ‘Kimberly-Clark Cares for White Angels’ campaign in Beijing, which is part of Kimberly-Clark’s Touch of White Angels flagship program that was launched in partnership with CWDF in 2011.

For millions of people in emerging regions, frontline health workers (FHWs) are the first and often the only point of contact for health care access. FHWs form the backbone of the health system, especially in resource-constrained environments which have a shortage of trained physicians and nurses. The THRIVE Indonesia program is demonstrating how a digital registry system, known as Open Smart Register Platform (OpenSRP), compared to a paper-based system, can improve FHW efficiencies, immunization coverage, continuity and quality of care, data quality, timeliness of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (RMNCH) interventions and reduce maternal and child morbidity.

For residents of the remote Cambodian village of Roka, the dry season means annual water shortages and the rainy season means flooded, impassable roadways. Even during the rainy season, the bountiful water supply isn't safe for drinking and cooking.

Ivy Prosper is a television host, producer and speaker. She's also an advocate for the empowerment of women and for their maternal health rights. She currently works as a producer on documentary projects telling stories in Africa. She is also developing a line of handbags and accessories where a portion of sales go towards maternal health needs in Ghana.