OTTAWA, Ontario, Dec. 1, 2014 /CNW/ -- Mylan Inc. (Nasdaq: MYL)
and the Canadian AIDS Society (CAS) today announced a joint
initiative to raise funds and awareness for Canadians and people
worldwide who are living with or at risk of HIV/AIDS.
On the occasion of World AIDS Day, the two organizations today
unveiled that a team of athletes will run across Canada in the Mylan Relay for Hope, beginning in April 2015 in St.
John's, NL, and ending in October
2015 in Hope, BC – covering
a total distance of 7,750 km. This team will consist of 36
dedicated runners subdivided into teams of three, each of which
will be responsible for running the distance in their province
before the team in the next province can begin their westward
journey. The runners will carry select panels of the Canadian AIDS
Memorial Quilt, a grassroots project started in the 1980s as part
of The Names Project, which honors loved ones who have died from
HIV/AIDS.
"HIV/AIDS continues to have a devastating impact on communities
across the world," said Monique
Doolittle-Romas, chief executive officer of the Canadian
AIDS Society. "In Canada, we estimate that there are 71,300 people
living with HIV/AIDS. Despite the significant progress made in many
areas of HIV/AIDS, our battle continues. We need the continued
support of Canadians to help beat the disease, and are delighted to
partner with Mylan on the Relay for Hope campaign to raise awareness of
HIV/AIDS issues, and inspire more and more Canadians to support
people living with HIV/AIDS in Canada and around the globe."
Mylan is committed to setting new standards in health care for
people living with HIV/AIDS. The company has played a critical role
in helping to drive down the cost of antiretroviral, or ARV,
medications. Today, Mylan offers 50 ARV drugs and serves
approximately 3.5 million patients in 104 countries.
"Mylan's mission is to provide the world's 7 billion people
access to high quality medicine, including those who depend on our
antiretroviral treatments," said Richard
Guest, president of Mylan Pharmaceuticals ULC in
Canada. "Our longstanding
commitment to fighting the disease already has made a big
difference for millions of people and their families and
communities. Approximately 40% of those being treated for the
disease in the developing world today depend on our ARV
products."
In conjunction with the run, Mylan and CAS have launched
relayforhope.ca, a digital resource to help raise funds and educate
key stakeholders across the country.
Proceeds from the Mylan Relay for Hope campaign, which will be collected
from individual and corporate donors, will directly fund programs
organized by CAS and its 100 charitable partners across
Canada. The proceeds also will be
used abroad to fight HIV/AIDS in regions that are under served by
current efforts.
The announcement was made at the seventh annual CAS World AIDS
Day Gala held in Ottawa and in the
company of representatives from all levels of government, leaders
of the HIV/AIDS community, as well as celebrities and
representatives of the charitable and service organizations that
comprise CAS.
Mylan and CAS have begun their joint search for runners to
represent each of the provinces through which the relay will
travel. Organizers are also inviting all Canadians to join the
relay at any point during the six-month campaign. Persons
interested in participating in the relay, or learning more, are
invited to visit relayforhope.ca.
CAS has taken ownership of the Canadian version of The Names
Project Quilt, the renowned grassroots program that remembers those
who have succumbed to HIV/AIDS by name. During the height of the
AIDS crisis on both sides of the border, enough quilts were
produced to cover more than five football fields.
Some recent statistics on HIV/AIDS:
In Canada:
- An estimated 71,300 Canadians currently are infected with
HIV/AIDS and 22,300 have AIDS;(1)
- 26 per cent of those who are HIV-positive in Canada are unaware of it;(1)
- The annual economic loss caused by HIV/AIDS in Canada is $4
billion.(1)
Around the globe:
- Since 1981, some 25 million persons have died from
AIDS;(2)
- About 33 million are currently infected with HIV/AIDS;(2)
- Some 45 per cent of those infected do not receive treatment
because of inadequate access to treatment;(2)
- Mylan innovations in second-line therapies have helped to
reduce the annual cost of treating a patient from $15,000 to $350.
About Mylan
Mylan is a global pharmaceutical
company committed to setting new standards in health care. Working
together around the world to provide 7 billion people access to
high quality medicine, Mylan innovates to satisfy unmet needs;
makes reliability and service excellence a habit; does what's
right, not what's easy; and impacts the future through passionate
global leadership. The company offers a growing portfolio of more
than 1,300 generic pharmaceuticals and several brand medications.
In addition, it offers a wide range of antiretroviral therapies,
upon which approximately 40% of HIV/AIDS patients in developing
countries depend. Mylan's workforce of more than 20,000 people is
dedicated to improving the customer experience and increasing
pharmaceutical access to consumers around the world. Visit
mylan.ca for more information.
About the Canadian AIDS Society
Incorporated since 1986, the Canadian AIDS Society (CAS) is a
national coalition of community-based AIDS organizations across
Canada. CAS is dedicated to
strengthening the response to HIV/AIDS across all sectors of
society, and to enriching the lives of people and communities
living with HIV/AIDS. For more information, please visit
www.cdnaids.ca.
References: (1) Canadian AIDS Society and (2) UNAIDS
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mylan-and-canadian-aids-society-team-up-in-cross-country-relay-to-accelerate-canadas-fight-against-hivaids-300002746.html
SOURCE Mylan Inc.