Leading global healthcare company Merck & Co inc., Kenilworth, NJ, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, has been named to Fortune's 2022 Change the World list. The annual international ranking recognizes companies that have had a positive social impact through activities that are part of their core business strategy.

MSD was selected for its work in expanding global access to the company's vaccines that help protect populations against human papillomavirus which causes certain cancers, especially among women.

"As a subsidiary of MSD, we are honored to be acknowledged for our efforts toward making our HPV vaccines available and accessible despite the pandemic and across diverse geographic and cultural contexts," said Andreas Riedel, president and managing director of MSD in the Philippines.

This is the third time the company has been on the Change the World list in the last five years.

As Filipinos continue to hurdle the effects and challenges brought on by the coronavirus crisis, including non-Covid illnesses, MSD in the Philippines persists in saving and improving the lives of patients and populations through expanding awareness about HPV-related diseases and cancers, such as cervical cancer, of which nearly all cases are attributed to HPV.

In the Philippines, cervical cancer currently ranks as the 2nd most common cancer among women in 2018. Besides vaccination, cervical cancer screening is another key component in mitigating and controlling the effects of cervical cancer.

As part of its local efforts, MSD launched the advocacy campaign #TimeToTalkAboutHPV to bring focus and open discussions about HPV with the goal of helping eradicate cervical cancer in the Philippines. The campaign promotes urgent public education and communication to remove the stigma surrounding HPV and to emphasize the need to prevent HPV-related diseases and cancers, like cervical cancer, which may cause physical, emotional, and economic burdens for the patient down the road.

"Access to accurate information is critical in helping reduce the risk of mortality from a vaccine-preventable disease like cervical cancer. The goal is to encourage vaccine confidence and full immunization before females are even exposed to the virus," Riedel said.

Sustained action against HPV necessitates multi-stakeholder partnerships to be truly impactful, especially in resource-challenged locations like the Philippines. MSD believes that a healthier citizenry can result from collaborative campaigns that promote an approach that considers the entire life course of the individual.