Merck India to invest $10 mn to reduce maternal mortality

To partner three NGOs in Rajasthan, Jharkhand and UP to reduce incidents of deaths during childbirth

Drug firm MSD India today said it will invest $10 million over next three years in the country as part of its global initiative to help reduce maternal mortality.

As part of the initiative--'MSD for Mothers', the drug firm would partner three non-governmental organisations (NGOs) across three states in India---Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh--to reduce incidents of deaths during childbirth.

"We are launching the programme in India as part of our global initiative. We would be investing $10 million over the next three years in this initiative," MSD India Manging Director K G Ananthakrishnan told reporters here.

MSD would partner, The Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust, Pathfinder International and White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood, to reach around five lakh pregnant women in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand.

"I believe the project has great potential to benefit our country in helping reduce maternal mortality with a collaborative approach," Ananthakrishnan added.

MSD for Mothers is a $500 million global initiative launched in 2011 by Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), to help create a world where no woman dies from complications of pregnancy and child birth.

MSD is known as Merck in United States and Canada. In India the company operates via three separate legal entities-- MSD Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd, Organon India Ltd and Fulford India Ltd.