Social Contribution Activities

We have identified the following pivotal points as our basic thoughts on social contribution activities befitting a good corporate citizen, and have created various programs to facilitate employee involvement in social contribution activities:

Basic Stance on Social Contribution Activities

  • Ensure that our employees always have an awareness that our business is dependent on public trust and credibility
  • Respect and understand diverse values and cultures nurtured in various communities and by people
  • Be aware of harmonious relationships with society and fulfill responsibilities as well as contributions as a member of society

Providing Cocowork Vegetables to Children's Community Cafeterias

We are currently working on an initiative to supply vegetables grown by our special subsidiary, Cocowork Co. Ltd. (hereafter referred to as "Cocowork") to community children's cafeterias (in Toyonaka City and Suita City). Children's cafeterias are held for the purpose of preventing children from eating alone and creating a safe and comfortable space for them in the community; however, the reality is that many children's cafeterias struggle to secure food because they provide meals on a limited budget. For families who cannot afford to purchase vegetables due to various reasons, we wanted to support the healthy growth of their children through fresh vegetables from Cocowork, and at the same time, we wanted children who do not like vegetables to eat fresh vegetables and know their delicious taste. When children's community cafeterias are closed due to COVID-19, we supply vegetables together with food donated by local groups and companies at free distribution events. The vegetables have been very popular due to their freshness, crispness, delicious taste, and less of bitterness.
In addition, the vegetables are also used in Bento boxes provided through Toyonaka City's home-delivered meal model service for children in which Bento boxes are directly delivered to families with children in need of support. The service has led to various connections. For example, there are some cases in which, thanks to this service, children who were truants from school are now able to attend school or use welfare services. In this way, the vegetables from Cocowork have been an effective "food" aid as a means of creating these support networks.

Hydroponically Grown Cocowork Vegetables

Hydroponically Grown Cocowork Vegetables

Supplying vegetables to a community children's cafeteria (in Toyonaka City)

Supplying vegetables to a community children's cafeteria (in Toyonaka City)

Bento box made with the vegetables from Cocowork

Bento box made with the vegetables from Cocowork

Social Contribution Activities for Social Welfare Facilities

As a life science company, Sumitomo Pharma actively supports social welfare facilities and organizations through the participation of our officers and employees.
As part of patient support activities, since fiscal 2015 we have supported the production of Kiwanis dolls that comfort hospitalized children. Kiwanis dolls are plain, white, cotton-filled dolls, and are used by pediatricians to ask children about their symptoms while pointing to parts on the dolls and to explain surgery, and thus they are used to help facilitate consultations and treatments. Using the dolls when explaining their treatment reduces any fear or anxiety children may have and makes it easier for them to accept their treatment. Children can also play with the dolls by coloring them and drawing faces and clothes on them. These dolls become their "little friends" that stay by their side during their hospitalization, and we have heard that many children take the dolls home when they are discharged and cherish them. In fiscal 2022, we would like to continue delivering "little friends" to hospitalized children who have a need for Kiwanis dolls.

Trauma dolls created by our employees

Kiwanis dolls created by our employees

Cooperating in Vaccination Support Work by Pharmacist Volunteers

From June to September 2021, we cooperated in vaccination support work carried out by the Osaka Pharmaceutical Association for COVID-19 vaccinations at the Osaka mass vaccination center. Employees who were qualified pharmacists and agreed to cooperate in support work at vaccination sites participated in this activity using the Company's volunteer leave system.

Great East Japan Earthquake Reconstruction Support

Sumitomo Pharma has prioritized earthquake reconstruction support for the area struck by the Great East Japan Earthquake in order to help the victims of the disaster, recover and reconstruct their communities as quickly as possible. On May 1, 2011, the Company established the Earthquake Disaster Reconstruction Support Office*1 as a dedicated organization to provide support for reconstruction, and since then it has implemented various programs to support the affected areas. Going forward, we will continue working on support activities based on the reconstruction status of the affected areas.

  • *1 The Earthquake Disaster Reconstruction Support Office was dissolved on April 1, 2012.
    Sumitomo Pharma reconstruction support activities are now coordinated by the Corporate Communications Department.

Main Reconstruction Support Activities Implemented in the Past

  • Provided learning support and opened children's cafeterias for children of less fortunate families including victims of the disaster in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, provided support through donations to TEDIC, an NPO that organizes free schools for children unwilling to attend school (continuously since 2014).
  • Employees with pharmacist qualifications were dispatched to the Miyagi Prefecture Pharmacists Association to support pharmacists in their duties (77 people dispatched from April - August 2011)
  • Employees dispatched to Rikuzentakata City by volunteer bus to help with removal of debris (dispatched 144 people from June 2011 to February 2012)
  • People experienced in dealing with radiation participated in decontamination volunteer work organized by Fukushima City (28 people participated from November - December 2011)
  • Sports day support for kindergartens, elementary schools and junior high schools (fiscal 2011 - fiscal 2015: Okuma-machi, Fukushima Prefecture; fiscal 2013 - fiscal 2015: Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture)
  • Held Tohoku Produce Events (2011 - 2017: held "Marche" event at major branches to promote local produce in disaster hit areas)
  • Support for Reconstruction Support Internship project
    (Provided financial support for accommodation and travel expenses for students participating in the Reconstruction Support Internship project in 2013)

Environmental Conservation Activities

Given the importance of having proactive communication with the local communities in which we operate, we organize periodic cleanup and environment protection activities at our major business establishments. There are more details under Biodiversity in The Environment section.

Community Contribution Activities in North America

Since 2012, former Sunovion's "Hands On!" community service program has engaged employees in volunteer activities that contribute to building even stronger communities in the areas where they live and work. So far, employees have volunteered more than 32,600 total hours to projects supporting youth and educational programs, health and medical services and community relief initiatives.

Volunteer activities

Volunteer activities

From 2020 to 2022, the program allowed not only employees to participate, but also their families, provided that measures were taken to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Examples of activities included employees and their families donating food, clothing, books and other items to a local support facility near their homes, sending appreciation letters to military personnel, and responding to online inquiries from university students regarding employment and other issues.

International Contribution Activities

Global health is a matter of major importance to the Company. We continually support efforts of international stakeholders such as the one described below that strive to improve the healthcare of people around the world.

Provision of Health Improvement Program for Mothers and Children

Sumitomo Pharma is implementing a health improvement program for mothers and children as a partnership initiative led by NPO People's Hope Japan in the Kampong Cham District, Cambodia. The company is engaged in initiatives to promote health checkups for infants and pregnant women, regular education and training on nutrition and hygiene, and home-visit childcare support in collaboration with NPO, local governments, local health centers, and communities.
Click here (Improvement of Healthcare Infrastructure in Developing Countries) for details.

Financial Assistance for Eradication of Malaria

HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, the three major infectious diseases, are global problems that cannot be solved by one country alone and which need international cooperation to address them. Sumitomo Pharma supports initiatives for eradication of malaria in several countries in Asia and Africa. The Company has cooperated with NPO, local governments and communities to provide insecticide-treated mosquito netting, rapid diagnostic test kits for malaria, and educational activities in Zambia, Tanzania, and Indonesia, as well as advocacy initiatives for public awareness of Malaria in Japan.

Fight Against Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals

There are more details about measures against counterfeit pharmaceuticals under Contribution to Global Health.

Medical Advancements

Sumitomo Pharma provides donations to support research and human resources development in medicine, pharmaceuticals, and related fields.

Support for Establishment of Funded Laboratory

In April 2015, Sumitomo Pharma made a donation to support the establishment of the Department of Drug Discovery Medicine, a funded laboratory established by the Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University with the aim of developing human resources to undertake drug discovery in industry and academia. Click here for more details on the funded laboratory (in Japanese only).

Support for the Japan Epilepsy Research Foundation

The Japan Epilepsy Research Foundation (JERF) was originally founded in commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the foundation of former Dainippon Pharmaceutical. The Foundation's purpose is to promote therapeutic research in the field of epilepsy and contribute to the healthcare and well-being of the general public. Subsequently, on October 1, 2010, the Foundation gained a fresh start as a public interest incorporated foundation after being authorized as qualifying for the new public interest corporation system. Operated based on contributions from Sumitomo Pharma and other donors, the Foundation provides grants and commendations, holds meetings for reporting research results as forums for announcing its grants and commendations, and publishes an annual research newsletter. In fiscal 2021, we provided 12 research grants, two overseas study grants, and two Japan Epilepsy Research Grants for Inviting Overseas Researchers to Japan. Sumitomo Pharma will continue to contribute to improvements in healthcare and welfare through its support for JERF.

Click here for more information (in Japanese only) on the Foundation's activities.

Research Grants

Sumitomo Pharma operates programs calling for researchers to submit research grant applications in the fields of medicine, pharmaceuticals and related fields.