December 2012 Archives

More than 30% of the children in St. Louis had lead poisoning in 2000*.  You read that right.  I learned this alarming statistic from Robert Fruend, CEO of the St. Louis Regional Health Commission (RHC), during The Atlantic's "Conversation on Community Health" (underwritten by GlaxoSmithKline). It was offered as a model for action. 

Fruend explained how the RHC, the City of St. Louis, Saint Louis County, the State of Missouri, RHC Advisory Board members, community organizations, and hundreds of community members began collaborating to tackle this enormous lead poisoning challenge. Through their collaboration, the St. Louis community can now report that fewer than 3% of their children have lead poisoning--a dramatic drop achieved in just a decade. Bravo St. Louis!  

As St. Louis health leaders gathered last Wednesday for the second in this series of community forums with The Atlantic, they discussed the health issues currently crippling their community, from asthma to obesity. Although some of the current health statistics are frightening, I couldn't help but feel optimistic. The audience used iPads to share ideas and provide feedback, making the meeting highly interactive. It was amazing to see the ideas streaming from the collective brainpower in the room.  I am confident that if the St. Louis community can come together as they did ten years ago when they tackled lead poisoning, then they can address any health challenge. GSK, which employs more than a hundred people in the St. Louis region, primarily through our TUMS manufacturing facility, is engaging in these conversations in several communities across the US--and looking for insights and best practices that could improve the health of our nation.

This concept of allowing the data to guide community health strategies and encouraging various agencies to collaborate throughout the process is not a new idea; it is a winning strategy that was reaffirmed again and again last week during my travels. In addition to the program in St. Louis, last week, I also joined the Executive Directors of the five GSK 2012 US IMPACT award-winning nonprofits for an awards ceremony and panel discussion at GSK's US headquarters in Research Triangle Park, NC. Throughout the dialogue, the directors shared data about the tremendous community health challenges we face and emphasized how critical partnerships are for addressing these challenges. I was proud that we were able to convene--and recognize--these exceptional nonprofits that have found innovative ways to improve access to healthcare in our communities.   

At GSK, evidence-based and collaborative organizations are natural partners in our shared mission. Please take a moment to read about all our US-based nonprofit partners here.  And I look forward to sharing with you specific examples of community health outcomes achieved through GSK evidence-based partnerships in 2013!

*Note - You can review the data of the St. Louis lead poisoning problem among children through the St. Louis Regional Health Commission's new report, "Decade Review of Health Status" released earlier this month (December 2012; page 38).

What do Sanlin Town in Shanghai and Nairobi's Kibera slum have in common?  They are two poor communities where GSK employees are deeply committed to local partnerships--and both were recognized last week as gold standards in global corporate citizenship. 

The Financial Times and Citi recognized the GSK New Citizen Health Care Project in Shanghai as the leading innovative urban healthcare idea in action through their inaugural FT/Citi Ingenuity Awards on December 5. (That's me on the right at the ceremony, with my colleague Sharon, from GSK China, and a few of the other honorees.) Our program helps the 100,000 migrants in the community, many of whom live in one-room homes without plumbing alongside rancid alleyways, receive critical health education and other holistic services, as well as a respite from their difficult and dangerous life.

The US Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) recognized GSK's Personal Hygiene and Sanitation Education (PHASE) program as a finalist in the "Best International Ambassador" award during their annual Citizens Awards on December 6. PHASE helps combat the devastating spread of diarrheal disease, which takes the lives of three million people every year, most of them children.  The spread of this disease can be easily prevented by improving water quality and encouraging people to wash their hands, and that's just what this program does. GSK provides easy-to-understand children's books and story cards all while helping improve the local water pipers, pumps, and other important infrastructure.

The success of both of these award-winning programs is inextricably linked with our dedicated and trustworthy non-profit partners.  In China, the Xin Tu Center for Community Health Promotion trains volunteers to run the healthcare center. Throughout Africa, India, and Brazil, our non-profit partners, including the African Medical & Research Foundation (AMREF), Save the Children, the Millennium Villages Project, Plan International, Pratham (India) and Firjan/SESI (Brazil), work closely with local health and education ministries to bring PHASE into schools and communities.

As a new GSK employee who had the privilege of attending both award ceremonies, it was incredible to see and hear so many people praise how GSK's employees and programs make a meaningful difference in the lives of people and communities around the world.

This week, I'll have the opportunity to attend two more impressive events: our IMPACT awards in Durham and a Healthy Communities event with The Atlantic in St. Louis. Improving access to healthcare is one of society's most pressing social challenges, and GSK is committed to bolstering healthy communities, everywhere--from Shanghai to St. Louis.