High-level summit emphasizes importance of ethical approach for healthcare companies

A range of developments - including the opening on new healthcare "cities" in countries across the region and increasing interest in biotechnology - are driving the pace of change in the regional healthcare sector.

However, because of the significant impact that healthcare companies can have upon the societies they operate in, there is strong interest across in the Middle East in ensuring that companies continue to develop and deliver their treatments in an environmentally-friendly and socially-conscious manner.

Addressing the conference, Liz MacGillivray, head of marketing and sales, Novartis Pharma, argued, "Pharmaceutical companies and healthcare providers have a direct affect upon the lives of people in the societies they operate in, and consequently their activities are subject to understandable scrutiny."

"If there is to be continued growth and development in this area, then it is the responsibility of the companies themselves to ensure that they abide by core principles of corporate social responsibility."

"This means that companies in the Middle East must be open and accountable regarding our clinical trials; preserve the environment through clean, clear techniques; maintain fair wages and working hours for our employees; and focus on the unmet need in prioritizing our research for new cures and treatments," she added.

Pharmaceutical companies have already pledged huge amounts of money in philanthropic donations. Indeed between 1998 and 2002, contributions from the world's 10 largest pharmaceutical companies for health-related programs in the least developed countries totaled US$2.2 billion.

However, Ms MacGillivray told her audience at the Summit that large donations were not enough.

"For pharmaceutical companies, CSR goes way beyond philanthropy, and should inform our day-to-day working practice. Our mission is to extend and improve lives through innovative research and constant ambition. To achieve our mission, we must maintain a committed workforce, and a code of ethics which prioritizes empathy and rationality. The pharmaceutical industry is founded on trust, and we must preserve and encourage trust at all times," the speaker continued.

Novartis has already made great progress in its CSR policy, having introduced pioneering initiatives such as the Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development and the Novartis CareCard, and opened Access to Medicine Projects around the world, providing affordable access to a variety of its trademark drugs.

The Second Middle East Corporate Social Responsibility Summit, held in Dubai, featured a number of speakers from the healthcare sector. Held under The Patronage Of H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, it was designed to show attendees the necessary steps to designing and implementing an ethics management program.