Social Responsibility
Improving Healthcare Through Unite 4 Health
The Scientific Group through Adcock Ingram's corporate social investment initiative, Unite 4 Health, aims to support efforts to improve healthcare for disadvantaged South Africans.
Adcock Ingram is a wholly owned division of JSE listed Tiger Brands. Tiger Brands donates over 1% of post-tax profits to social investment.
Some key Unite 4 Health projects financed in 2006 and in 2007 include the following:
- Red Cross Children's Hospital: In June 2006, Unite 4 Health donated R4 million to the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in Cape Town. This hospital is the only specialist centre dedicated to treating children of the African continent. At the hospital, Africa-specific research on children's diseases and HIV/Aids improves not only the health of the children treated there, but also assists in the training received by doctors and nurses in this training hospital environment. The Unite 4 Health donation will go towards a new modern theatre complex - Adcock Ingram/Unite 4 Health Operating Theatre - which will enable surgical teams to operate on 25% more children each year.
- Heart of Soweto: Over 15 000 Soweto residents will take part in the Heart of Soweto project that aims to track the incidence of cardiovascular disease in a developing-world scenario. The study is the largest of its kind in Africa and was launched in January 2006. Unite 4 Health has committed R2 million in support of this study, led by Professor Karen Sliwa - head of the Soweto Cardiovascular Research Unit at Chris Hani/Baragwanath Hospital in collaboration with experts from Australia and the United Kingdom. The Heart of Soweto study has initiated the important task of better understanding and monitoring the emergence of heart disease in the Sow etan population. Its significance lies in tracking the incidence of a disease often associated with increasingly affluent lifestyles in one of South Africa's largest urban areas. As part of its support to the Heart of Soweto project, Unite 4 Health has also refurbished the cardiology unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital
- Soweto Hospice: Unite 4 Health has donated R1 million to the Women's Ward for the new Soweto Hospice. This new, state of the art Hospice caters for HIV and AIDS patients and provides an outreach support of home based caregivers. (??HIV/AIDS or and AIDS)
- Pimville Clinic: Unite 4 Health has pledged R500 000 towards renovating this clinic which services the Pimville area in Soweto.
- Unite 4 Health supports a number of smaller NGOs on an ongoing basis.
- Ukukhanya Arts Project: The Scientific Group donated R30 000 to the Ukukhanya Arts Project towards the development of novel and alternative materials that can be used as educational tools. The mission of this project is to promote and support indigenous artistic expression in local communities affected by HIV/ AIDS throughout South Africa.
