Philips is determined to enable healthy living and well-being for all. We strongly believe that through the use of technology and responsible leadership, we can help increase access to quality healthcare and improve health outcomes for all. We recognize the often critical needs of women and children in many communities, but also the added burden arising from the increase in non communicable diseases (NCDs) in communities already struggling with inadequate access to healthcare. Building on our original 2015 commitment in support of the updated Every Woman Every Child Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (2016-2030), Philips commits to improve the lives of 300 million people in underserved countries that suffer the highest maternal, neonatal, child, and NCD mortality rates from 2017 till 2025. This will allow us to increase our focus on those populations where we can make a positive impact by providing access to effective and affordable healthcare for those in need.
Since our restated baseline in 2017 of 300 million lives improved in underserved healthcare communities, we have increased from 153 to 190 million lives improved. On Friday September 21, 2018, we have reinforced this commitment by singing a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to jointly develop programs aimed at improving the lives of 50 million women and girls by 2025 in countries where health challenges are most acute. Philips’ focus in the programs will be on enabling healthy pregnancies, safe deliveries and quality newborn care through integrated health services, in line with the United Nations resolution on universal health coverage (UHC). The main contributors to Lives Improved in underserved healthcare communities are:
- With Ultrasound (including Lumify mobile ultrasound, with Reacts platform for remote collaboration), the largest countries are India and African countries;
- With Community Life Centers,as a primary health solution incl. primary care, outpatient maternity services, diagnostics in African countries;
- With Patient Monitoring, the largest countries are India, parts of Central and Eastern Europe, African countries ;
- With Diagnostic Imaging – mainly driven by X-ray, similar geo footprint as above.
By bringing together the initiatives in businesses, markets and functions across Philips, together with the Philips Foundation, we know we can provide better healthcare and improve health outcomes for all. We are looking for ways to deliver on our ambitious target by driving the core business with health systems, funds and public health institutions in these countries and scale up social initiatives, like Lumify, CLC, mobile obstetric monitoring (MOM) which will be able to provide access to care to those in need.
