Recognising World Health Day 2022, the World Health Organization is launching a campaign that is incredibly relevant as we continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

‘Our Planet, Our Health’ addresses the uniquely global challenge of protecting the planet in order to protect each other. In the words of the WHO, ‘the climate crisis is also a health crisis’ – and creating healthier societies means safeguarding the world around us.

At Smartway, we know that health is global. Every day, we leverage our global reach and supply chain to empower access to medicines globally. But we also act as responsible leaders, minimising our negative impact on the environment and creating a healthier future for all.

A uniquely global way of working

Smartway was founded on the principle that everyone should have access to the medicines they need. In part, that means adopting a global approach where we can respond with confidence and capability to even the most urgent challenges.

Throughout the pandemic, we worked closely with companies struggling to meet demand for medicines during widespread supply chain disruption. For instance, we helped an overseas company source critical medicine over the festive period and earlier this year, we wrote about our proactive role as an urgent shortage medicine supplier to NHS patients. 

In the past few months, we’ve also supported the Helping Hands Charity Trust, a charity based in India, by providing urgent medical resources to assist in COVID-19 relief. From shortages to treatments for rare diseases, we continue to act urgently in response to new and emerging challenges, leveraging our uniquely global reach and capability.

These activities harmonise with our efforts around the UN Sustainable Development Goals – particularly Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing.

Global support in times of crisis

Working closely with NGOs and aid organizations, we routinely provide emergency medical supplies in disaster scenarios. This includes providing essential pharmaceuticals and first aid kits in response to the situation in Ukraine.

However, we go beyond providing resources in a timely, accurate fashion. We’re also proud to share our logistical expertise, not just sourcing resources but guaranteeing they are delivered with efficiency at every stage.

Of course, we also continue to play a key role in global vaccination efforts.

Contributing to the global sustainability agenda

Beyond our commitment to promoting good health and wellbeing, we’re also committed to other UN SDGs. For example, we align our activity to the UN SDG for Goal 5: Gender Equality – female employees are very present across the business, including in senior leadership. 

However, more than anything else, World Health Day 2022 is about playing a responsible role in protecting the world around us. We strive to minimise our impact wherever possible. Among others, this includes working in partnership with our clients to develop carbon neutral programmes and replanting trees to offset our emissions.

Sustainability is very much part of the conversation at Smartway. It’s a key part of our strategic decisions, but also there in our day-to-day activity. At every level, our teams work hard to be conscious about the environment, our impact, and how we can protect the planet while maintaining our high standards of service.

Josh Cocklin, Chief Executive 

See how we set the standard in environmental, social and corporate responsibility.