NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Eli Lilly and Co. wants to improve access to health care for 30 million people in impoverished areas across the world.

The Indianapolis drug maker on Tuesday announced an ambitious $90 million program to provide better access to treatment for diabetes, cancer and tuberculosis. The five-year investment, called Lilly 30×30, will go to Brazil, China, India, Kenya, Mexico, Russia and South Africa. Lilly also plans to spend some of that money on treating diabetes in Indianapolis.

Lilly estimates that it already reaches 5 million people through the Lilly Global Health Partnership. It will use $45 million of company money and $45 million from the Eli Lilly and Co. Foundation in an effort to expand that reach sixfold by 2030.

“Enabling more people to get access not only to our medicine, but to better diagnosis and treatments, is the fundamental goal here,” Eli Lilly CEO John Lechleiter said.