Mexico City, September 14, 2022.- In order to create a program that serves the most vulnerable communities, generating a positive impact on medical care, the Panamerican Assistance Society (SIPASA), of our Universidad Panamericana, and Novartis Mexico signed a collaboration agreement.
The event was attended by Dr. Santiago García Álvarez, Rector of Universidad Panamericana, Mexico campus; Dr. Gregorio Tomas Obrador Vera, Director of the Faculty of Health Sciences of Panamericana and President of the Board of Trustees of SIPASA and Fernando Cruz, General Director of Communications and Public Affairs of Novartis Mexico.
A social commitment
Fernando Cruz said: "For Novartis Mexico, the signing of this agreement represents the materialization of our social and human rights commitment.
He also explained that Novartis, through its Global Health program, has been able to create systems that facilitate access to medicines and health services for populations in vulnerable conditions. "This has led us to have the first place in the index of access to medicines at a global level," he said.
He also added: "Mexico through this initiative is the third country in Latin America where the corporation will be able to pilot an effort of this nature, being the first pilot program in our country with a common objective which is to expand access to health as a social equalizer (...)".
Dr. García Álvarez emphasized in his message: "it is very important and encouraging for us that two serious institutions such as Panamericana, specifically SIPASA, and Novartis are joining forces for the benefit of the health of Mexicans, especially the underprivileged population".
"I am convinced that one of the keys we have for the solution of current problems is that different actors in society join forces, hence the importance of the public sector, the private sector, universities and the media working together to solve health problems or any other type of problem facing our country".
Dr. Obrador Vera added: "we cannot teach social responsibility without living it personally and as an institution. In this sense, the social welfare work of SIPASA and the Faculty of Health Sciences has been developed based on three axes: medicine as the axis of social development, the regionalization of our efforts and interdisciplinarity".
Novartis Access
Novartis Access Program Novartis Access Program (NAP) is part of the Novartis Global Health portfolio. Through it, 5.4 million people have been served worldwide since 2015.
Thanks to the agreement signed, the first NAP pilot program in Mexico will begin in three rural clinics coordinated by SIPASA (MAPFRE-UP in Mexico City, Mazahua-Toxi in the State of Mexico and Tepeji del Río in Hidalgo).
The program seeks to reduce the main barriers to health access identified jointly by SIPASA and Novartis:
a) Lack of quality and affordable innovative drugs for the care of hypertension and diabetes.
b) Access to educational content for medical personnel to keep them up to date on the conditions and treatments available to care for their patients.
c) Bringing health technologies closer together and using them to optimize resources and promote the development of medical practice through telemedicine.
d) Conducting awareness and sensitization campaigns on diabetes and hypertension.
For the Universidad Panamericana is important to collaborate with different sectors of society in order to continue building ties that will benefit society.
