MSD makes contribution to Healthy China with Public Health Scholarship

MSD, a world-leading research-intensive biopharmaceutical company, has launched a new scholarship program in China to support the cultivation of talents in public health, as part of its continuing devotion to the sector over the past decades.

The CAV-MSD Jingwei Public Health Scholarship Program, with the China Association for Vaccines, offers scholarships to outstanding graduate students and bursaries to disadvantaged graduate students from the schools of public health in key universities across the country. The first recipients of the scholarship include students from the School of Public Health, China Medical University and the School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University.

It is an "innovative practice" of integrating public and private resources and insights at a time when public health and disease prevention and control development are being highlighted in China's post-pandemic era, said Anna Van Acker, senior vice-president of MSD and president of MSD in China.

The program aims to relieve the burden of outstanding students and inspire them in their academic pursuits, she said. In return, an increasing number of talents could bring more insights, knowledge and practical solutions to the industry and the whole system.

"Well-educated, capable and high-quality talents with leadership skills in large quantities are necessary to operate an effective healthcare system, and to provide exceptional care to patients and the general public," she noted.

Upholding the "Inventing for Life "commitment, MSD has endeavored to bring more life-saving innovative drugs and advanced vaccines to China, and benefit Chinese patients and the public faster and better, said Van Acker.

The company has joined hands with Chinese stakeholders to build prevention, screening, treatment, and management ecosystems against challenging diseases over the past 30 years, she noted.

Social responsibility

MSD's commitment to China's public health dates back to 1989, when MSD transferred hepatitis B vaccine technology to China and helped the country curb the severe hepatitis B epidemic, according to the company. China's achievements in hepatitis B prevention are among the most significant public health achievements of the 21st century.

This cooperation kicked off the company's relationship of more than 30 years with China.

MSD has been dedicated to improving China's public health education via healthcare professional training. In recent years, MSD has equipped Health Care Professionals with robust knowledge of HPV and cervical cancer through projects such as "Spark Knowledge Dissemination — a Professional Training for HPV Prevention and Control" and "The Shell Action", thus further improving the general public's disease awareness and prompting cervical cancer prevention and control.

Company figures showed that by the end of 2021, at least 90 million Chinese women and their families benefited from the educational activities of "The Shell Action "jointly launched by China Women's Development Foundation, which have been carried out in 80 cities across the country.

Meanwhile, MSD has been continuously investing in research and development and innovation as well as improving vaccine accessibility and availability by collaborating with local partners such as Zhifei Biological Products, Van Acker said.

"We will continue to drive innovation in disease prevention and treatment; address major diseases that threaten all of humanity and society; sustain growth; improve efficiency; and enhance organizational agility in the rapidly changing external environment globally," she said.

MSD has also launched a number of social responsibility projects with public associations and non-government organizations.

For example, "MSD for Mothers Initiative", which has run in China for three years, is dedicated to improving maternal health and reducing maternal mortality in the country, especially among high-risk mothers in remote areas.

China strategy

The Chinese market has now become one of MSD's four pillars of growth, said Van Acker, noting that it is "one of the most vital markets for MSD's global growth strategy".

According to her, China has been increasing its efforts in opening-up and introducing the Foreign Investment Law in recent years. "MSD has felt the continuous optimization of China's business environment," she said.

The country has advanced its healthcare reform, especially with the launch of "Healthy China 2030".As a result, the Chinese market has made tremendous progress in the past five years in terms of access to innovative medicines, pharmaceutical innovation capability and drug accessibility, said Van Acker.

Capturing the market's opportunities and through the China International Import Expo's world-class open platform, the company looks forward to continuously fulfilling its long-term commitment of 'Patients-First' as it strengthens cooperation with public organizations, medical institutions, industry partners and other sectors of society. Through its innovative medical solutions and persistent care, MSD is driving superior access and outcomes for patients and consumers.

"As MSD enters a new era marked by its 30th anniversary in China, we have launched a new strategy called 'Writing Our Future' and are well-prepared to be a trusted and leading partner in China's healthcare ecosystem, working with all to write a new future for a healthier China," she said.