NUTLEY, N.J., Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- In the agreement announced today, Roche will provide funding to UNICEF Switzerland to supply desks, school uniforms, textbooks and other educational material to schools attended by children orphaned by AIDS. The agreement builds on an existing project between Roche and the European Coalition of Positive People (ECPP) to establish day care centers for children in Malawi orphaned by HIV/AIDS, and on the project "Schools for Africa," established by UNICEF in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela Foundation to promote education in 6 African countries, including Malawi. To achieve these educational goals, Roche will provide UNICEF Switzerland with a portion of funds raised through its annual Global Roche Employee AIDS Walk, an employee initiative where monies raised are matched by Roche.
Franz B. Humer, President and CEO of Roche, commented, "We hope that through our partnership with UNICEF, an organization with a wealth of expertise especially in the area of education, we will be able to combine resources to improve schooling and ultimately opportunities to escape poverty while playing a role in the prevention against HIV/AIDS. It is a great step forward which extends our activities established three years ago by our employees to make a sustainable difference for these Malawian children."
Elsbeth Muller, Executive Director of UNICEF Switzerland, said, "We welcome the steps taken by Roche to support children whose lives have been devastated by AIDS and are pleased to use our local expertise to increase the quality and availability of education for these orphaned children. Access to primary education is a basic need and right of every child. It provides children with emotional support and life skills, as well as the perspective of a better future."
Currently, only 26% of the girls and 32% of the boys are in secondary school in Malawi. Evidence has shown that getting and keeping young people in school, particularly girls, can dramatically decrease their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and that HIV infection rates are at least twice as high among young people who do not finish at least primary school compared to those who do(i).
UNICEF's mandate in the collaboration is focused upon primary education for children. ECPP will manage the secondary school education program for older children who have completed primary school and have the ability to reach higher education. This program is also funded through the Global Roche Employee AIDS Walk.
Roche's partnership with the ECPP, a UK and Malawi-based non governmental organization, supports seven orphan centers in Southern Malawi, which provide day care and support learning to approximately 3,000 children and provide life-saving resources such as food, water, clothing and basic healthcare.
About HIV/AIDS and Malawi
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are 38.6 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. Sub-Saharan Africa is by far the worst affected area, with over 24 million people currently living with the disease. In Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world, it is estimated that 15 percent of the 11 million inhabitants are infected with HIV. The virus caused over 80,000 deaths in 2003. Over 700,000 children in Malawi have lost one or both parents to AIDS. As orphans, they are often excluded from education and vocational training because of their poverty.
About the Global Roche Employee AIDS Walk
The first Roche Employee AIDS Walk took place in 2003 as a pilot project involving three large sites. Immensely successful in its first year, the event was subsequently extended to include all Roche sites. Since 2003, over 21,000 Roche employees have taken part in the annual walk, raising approximately $2.2 million (2.8 million Swiss Francs) for children impacted by AIDS in Malawi and worldwide.
About "Schools for Africa"
UNICEF and the Nelson Mandela Foundation believe that education is key to development, and have launched together the initiative "Schools for Africa." In Rwanda, Angola, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa, 2 million children will have access to education in the next three years, 4,000 schools will be renovated or built, sanitary infrastructure will provide clean water in 1,800 schools, and 35,000 teachers will receive special training.
About Roche
Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. (Roche), based in Nutley, N.J., is the U.S. pharmaceuticals headquarters of the Roche Group, one of the world's leading research-oriented healthcare groups with core businesses in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. For more than 100 years, the Roche Group has been committed to developing innovative products and services that address prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, thus enhancing people's health and quality of life. An employer of choice, in 2005, Roche was named one of Fortune magazine's Best Companies to Work For in America, one of the Top 20 Employers (Science magazine), ranked as the No. 3 Best Company to Work For in NJ (NJ Biz magazine), the No. 1 Company to Sell For (Selling Power), and one of AARP's Top Companies for Older Workers. For additional information about the U.S. pharmaceuticals business, visit our websites: http://www.rocheusa.com or http://www.roche.us.
(i) http://womenandaids.org Educate Girls: Fight AIDS. What's
Real, issue 1 September 2005
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