Multinational drug companies as part of their corporate social responsibility have successfully launched some Direct Access Programmes to help patients in the country. These global companies have systematically integrated DAP into their marketing strategies. The integration is by way of capacity building, drug donation or through promoting research into neglected diseases.

These initiatives have been started to improve the overall healthcare scenario of the country with a special focus on rural areas. In many of the backward regions in the country, the per capita number of doctors is six times lower than in the cities, according to Ranga Iyer, advisor, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and former president, Organization of Pharmaceutical Producers of India.

Eli Lilly launched the ‘Lilly MDR-TB Partnership’ and entered into a collaboration with the Government of India’s Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) since 2004 to assist in implementation of the Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course (DOTS) Plus Program in various states. Lilly has so far announced a total of US$ 135 million in the partnership that includes technology transfer, training of health care providers, R&D and community support programs for patient awareness and prevention.

US based biotechnology major, Genzyme partnered with NIPER (National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research) under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, to provide 2 fellowships for excellence in biotechnology annually. One fellowship of Rs.10,000 a month is provided to a post graduate student and a second fellowship of Rs.16,000 per month is provided for three years to a PhD candidate.

Sanofi aventis supports the Father Ceyrac Association programme to fight TB and support destitute families in rural India. The program has been developed with the participation of NGOs, public health centres, municipalities and private practitioners. In 2010, it launched an initiative to build healthcare capacity for rural populations in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal where they facilitate Prayas workshops for General Practitioners on disease areas that are a major concern. The programme helps bridge the diagnosis-treatment gap through a structured continuing education for rural doctors. By 2015, through Prayas, Sanofi intends to empower around 1,50,000 doctors across 60,000 towns/villages of India.

Pfizer partners with NGOs for the mother and child healthcare project in Haryana and Punjab. The primary healthcare program aims to reduce anaemia in pregnant women and adolescent girls. It also promotes community health, including diarrhoea management, antenatal care, child nutrition and immunization. Pfizer started supporting mother and child healthcare in 2002 and has till date adopted 41 villages.

Bristol Myers Squibb partners with government academics and civil societies to support innovative and comprehensive public health responses. It has provided grants to raise awareness and to increase testing for Hepatitis B Virus (HBV). In India ‘B-Rodh’ a programme conducted by the HOPE initiative, focuses on students and their families in 1000 urban and rural schools in Uttar Pradesh where about one-third of the population lives below the poverty line.

Swiss major Novartis organizes regular awareness campaigns to rid India of the stigma from leprosy apart from providing free treatment. It has committed US$ 26 million to the WHO, to treat an estimated 1.1 million leprosy patients during a five-year phase. Further, Novartis helped decrease the burden of cancer by offering $1 billion worth of Glivec, one of its flagship brands free of cost to 99 per cent of patients who cannot afford the purchase.