Merck 2010 Annual Report Download - page 42

Apart from greenhouse gas emissions, the Merck Group also records other air emissions.
Group-wide emissions of these substances at Merck are relatively low.

Emissions in kilotons 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
VOC (volatile organic compounds) 1.8 1.9 1.9 0.2 0.2
Nitric oxides 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1
Sulfur dioxide 0.07 0.03 0.05 0.03 0.03
Dust 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02


Our social commitment is divided into local charitable projects that the Merck subsidiaries
implement independently, and into global projects. The latter include the Merck Praziquantel
Donation Program, the Global Pharma Health Fund (GPHF), and the Merck Philharmonic
Orchestra.

In 2007, we entered into a partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) to combat
the worm disease schistosomiasis in African school children. Merck is donating 200 million
tablets of Cesol ® 600 containing the active ingredient praziquantel over a ten-year period. This
donation will permit the treatment of 27 million children. Schistosomiasis is the most common
tropical disease in Africa after malaria, causing primarily children to suffer. In 2010, 3.8 million
children were treated within the scope of this partnership.

The Global Pharma Health Fund (GPHF), which is funded by Merck, is combating counterfeit
medicines in developing and emerging countries. According to WHO estimates, up to 30% of
the medicines offered worldwide are either counterfeit or of inferior quality. Many African and
Asian countries are especially affected by this since they lack effective regulatory and enforce-
ment systems for medicines. In order to effectively identify counterfeits and quickly remove
them from circulation, 394 compact mobile laboratories, or GPHF-Minilabs, were in use in more
than 70 countries as of December 31, 2010. They make it possible to rapidly identify pharma-
ceutical active ingredients and to immediately detect inferior or ineffective drugs.

The Merck Philharmonic Orchestra is one example of how we promote culture. With around
80 professional musicians and a very diverse concert repertoire, the orchestra is not only an
integral part of the cultural life in the vicinity of our corporate headquarters in Darmstadt; it
also tours internationally. Special events for children and adolescents as well as cooperation
with schools are intended to encourage young people to develop a taste for classical music.
Combating
counterfeit medicines
Merck Annual Report 2010 38