HSR's CEO highlights in chapter 3 of "CSR in the Middle East - Fresh Perspectives" published by Palgrave MacMillan in Sept. 2012, innovative Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) strategies aimed at improving access to medicines. HSR's cutting edge expertise and consulting experience on how to align business incentives with social responsibility set the foundation of this chapter. Given high burden of chronic disease in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)  - hence 'chronic' need for medication- the old philanthropic model of drug donation, which was more suitable to cure acute conditions, needs to be complemented with sustainable partnerships where corporations are directly incentivized to pursue long term CSR efforts. 

According to Pr. Antoun, improving access to existing medicines could save 10 million lives each year worldwide. Access to medicines challenges across the MENA region include relatively high prices of non-reimbursed medicines, low individual purchasing power in many MENA countries and the disease burden shift that creates a 'chronic' need for medicines. In his chapter, Pr. Antoun reviews and suggests a portfolio of CSR initiatives that could increase access to medicines in MENA. These range form the traditional charitable donation of medicines which continues to be prevalent in the region to the latest partnership models aimed at creating the right balance of incentives, including business ones, in order to insure sustained CSR: technology transfer, tiered pricing, dual branding, patient pharmaceutical cards, co-pay or co-insurance rebates, chronic disease partnerships and non-profit pharmaceuticals.  Innovative CSR partnership models can go a long way in luring business interest, alleviating costs and increasing access to medicines in a viable manner, translating into positive win-win impacts and added value for businesses and the wider public health.  

The book is available for purchase through Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/CSR-Middle-East-Fresh-Perspectives/dp/0230348211