Domini believes that access to healthcare is a critical issue for investors, one that potentially impacts the lives of billions of people in the world. The pharmaceutical industry’s ability to develop critically-needed drugs as well as their power to determine drug price give the industry significant effect over health care systems on a global scale. As a part of our long-standing commitment to healthcare issues, we have become a signatory to The Access to Medicine Foundation Investor Statement encouraging pharmaceutical companies to adopt practices that can help bridge the gaps in accessible medicine for lower-middle-income countries (LMIC).
The Access to Medicine Foundation is a Netherlands based independent non-profit organization. They promote change by analyzing data from the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies and consulting industry experts to determine the best course of action. From this data and dialogue, the foundation established three performance benchmarks to rate Pharma companies:
These three standards highlight the best practices, risk factors, and opportunities for Pharmaceutical companies to improve in critical areas.
For over twenty years, Domini has continually engaged with pharma companies to promote positive change based on our organizational principles. Domini evaluates pharmaceutical companies against numerous data sources including the Access Index and the foundation of our investment philosophy, our Impact Investment Standards.
In a global economy, international attention to healthcare access is key to raising norms of conduct and promoting the provision of public goods. Companies that invest in their compliance with such norms help create a world of improved health, stronger communities, more satisfying workplaces, and increased public and private goods. As explicitly defined as a goal 3 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs, health is a critical factor. We believe these efforts aid the long-term benefit of all, including corporations and investors.