On August 26, 2016, we proudly unveiled Takeda's bold, new Access to Medicines strategy at the sixth annual Tokyo International Conference of Africa's Development (TICAD) in Nairobi, Kenya.
During the conference, we also announced new partnerships with the University of Nairobi, the Elewa Cancer Foundation and the Pan African Heart Foundation. Takeda also hosted a panel discussion. Those present at the conference included Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Takeda leaders Giles Platford, President, Emerging Markets Business Unit and Haruhiko Hirate, Corporate Officer, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs.

Panel Discussion

To launch the new Access to Medicines strategy, Giles Platford, President, Emerging Markets Business Unit, and Haruhiko Hirate, Corporate Officer, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs, were joined by some of Takeda's most important stakeholders for a panel discussion which focused on the unmet medical needs in Africa, especially in the area of non-communicable diseases. 
"We aim to build sustainable approaches to tackle multiple barriers that limit access to medicines for patient in areas such as Latin America, Asia Pacific and Sub-Saharan Africa," said Giles.

Takeda's Nairobi Office Opening

As part of our new Access to Medicines strategy, Takeda has initiated a not-for-profit approach in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This approach seeks to position Kenya as a Center of Excellence (CoE) in the diagnosis and treatment of oncology/hematology diseases, and will see us collaborating closely with local partners to ensure the sustainability and longevity of our efforts across the region.

"To make a sustainable contribution, Takeda will work alongside governments, NGOs, healthcare professionals, patient associations and local community in multiple Public-Private Partnerships. The opening of our Nairobi office is a significant step forward in helping forge those collaborations and in enabling patients in the region gain better access to medicines," commented Isabel Torres, Takeda's Global Head, Access to Medicines.

Visit to Kajiado County

Takeda's bold, new Access to Medicines strategy will focus on increasing access to some of its most innovative medicines in the areas of oncology and specialty gastroenterology, as well as its vaccine candidates for communicable diseases such as dengue and chikungunya.

In addition to these core focus areas, Takeda is also partnering with Pan Africa Heart Foundation to run mobile screenings for diabetes and hypertension, which are rising threats across the region as the middle class population grows and lifestyles evolve. 

After the TICAD conference, Takeda's delegate travelled from Nairobi to Kajiado County, a rural area north of Nairobi, with the team from PANAHF, to see a screening firsthand, and to understand the importance of helping to diagnose diabetes and hypertension in this region.