NEW YORK, October 19, 2016 - The United Nations Foundation’s 2016 Global Leadership Awards Dinner will tonight honor Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA) for its commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals through its support for wellbeing around the world. The award recognizes, in part, the accomplishments of Walgreens highly successful Get a Shot. Give a Shot.® initiative, which provides life-saving vaccines to children in developing countries through the Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign. Walgreens Boots Alliance’s Co-Chief Operating Officer Ornella Barra will accept the Global Leadership Award on behalf of the company.
“I am deeply honored to accept the Global Leadership Award from the United Nations Foundation on behalf of all of my dedicated colleagues and the customers who make the program possible,” commented Barra. “While much work remains, we are very proud of the progress we have made, in partnership with our customers and the UN Foundation, to ensure that millions of children are immunized against diseases that could cost them their lives. Walgreens Boots Alliance is committed to helping people around the world lead happier, healthier lives and this program is an important part of our mission.”
“The world has set ambitious goals to improve lives and livelihoods around the world, including by achieving health and well-being for everyone by the year 2030,” said UN Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer Kathy Calvin. “Walgreens Boots Alliance has raised the bar through its strong commitment to the world’s most vulnerable citizens, who are often protected from a lifetime of deadly or debilitating diseases, including children who benefit from the Get A Shot. Give A Shot. campaign.”
One in five children worldwide lacks access to life-saving immunizations, and a child in a developing country dies every 20 seconds from a vaccine-preventable disease. Get a Shot. Give a Shot. donates a polio or measles vaccine to a child in need for every immunization administered at a Walgreens, Duane Reade or Healthcare Clinic location in the United States. The program has helped to provide more than 15 million vaccinations to countries such as Tanzania, East Timor and Chad since 2013.
Get a Shot. Give a Shot. is one of a range of programs that Walgreens Boots Alliance champions to improve health and wellbeing around the world. This month, through a partnership with Vitamin Angels, Walgreens reached its goal set two years ago of helping to provide 100 million children and mothers in at-risk populations with essential vitamins and minerals to help combat malnutrition.
Through a partnership with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, the company has funded a pan-European biobank for colorectal cancer to find new ways to treat this deadly disease. In addition, as the exclusive retailer of Red Nose Day in the United States, Walgreens has helped raise more than $31 million to benefit children’s health through Comic Relief USA. A partnership between Boots UK and Macmillan Cancer Support helps provide access to the best cancer information for patients and caregivers across the UK.
For more information on Get a Shot. Give a Shot. visit www.walgreens.com/getashot. Additional information on the Vitamin Angels program is available at www.walgreens.com/vitaminangels.
About Walgreens Boots Alliance
Walgreens Boots Alliance (Nasdaq: WBA) is the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise.
The company was created through the combination of Walgreens and Alliance Boots in December 2014, bringing together two leading companies with iconic brands, complementary geographic footprints, shared values and a heritage of trusted health care services through pharmaceutical wholesaling and community pharmacy care, dating back more than 100 years.
Walgreens Boots Alliance is the largest retail pharmacy, health and daily living destination in the USA and Europe and, together with its equity method investments*, employs more than 370,000* people and has a presence in more than 25* countries. Walgreens Boots Alliance is a global leader in pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing retail with over 13,100* stores in 11* countries. The company includes one of the largest global pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution networks with over 350* distribution centers delivering to more than 200,000** pharmacies, doctors, health centers and hospitals each year in 19* countries. In addition, Walgreens Boots Alliance is one of the world’s largest purchasers of prescription drugs and many other health and wellbeing products.
The company’s portfolio of retail and business brands includes Walgreens, Duane Reade, Boots and Alliance Healthcare, as well as increasingly global health and beauty product brands, such as No7, Botanics, Liz Earle and Soap & Glory. More company information is available at www.walgreensbootsalliance.com.
* As at 31 August 2015 (without subsequent adjustment for business acquisitions or dispositions), including equity method investments
** For 12 months ended 31 August 2015 (without subsequent adjustment for business acquisitions or dispositions), including equity method investments
About United Nations Foundation
The United Nations Foundation links the UN’s work with others around the world, mobilizing the energy and expertise of business and non-governmental organizations to help the UN tackle issues including climate change, global health, peace and security, women's empowerment, poverty eradication, energy access, and U.S.-UN relations. Learn more at: www.unfoundation.org.