Merck and Its CSR
Facts River Blindness is a disease affecting people in some of the poorest countries in the world, in Africa and Latin America. In 1978, an estimated 340,000 people have gone blind and about 18 million were infected with the disease. Dr. William Campbell discovered a possible use for ivermectin: It can be developed into a cure for River Blindness. He thus sent a memo to Dr. Vagelos requesting funds to develop the new product. The problem is that the product cannot be profitable. The target communities are not among the company’s target markets. Since these communities are ...