Roche's employee-driven philanthropic campaign sets new record

Today, Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) employees from 145 company sites in 70 countries participate in the 14th Roche Children's Walk. The annual event raises funds for children’s education and health initiatives in more than 90 communities around the world. The company matches all funds raised for the campaign.

"We are proud to have more sites participating in Roche Children's Walk than ever before," said Severin Schwan, Roche CEO. "Our employees come together every year to support sustainable, philanthropic projects. Such projects improve the lives of young people in communities where we operate and in areas of the world considered some of the most vulnerable."

Funds from Roche Children's Walk contribute to a variety of non-governmental organisation (NGO) programmes, including those in developing countries such as Malawi - one of the world's poorest countries. Since last year's walk, in Malawi Roche employee funds built four early childhood development (ECD) centres and improved eight existing ECD centres as part of a four-year collaboration with ActionAid Malawi to improve the well-being of 4,300 children and build the capacity of 240 caregivers (ECD teachers). Also in Malawi, a two-year pilot project with UNICEF was initiated which focuses on increasing food security and sustainable environmental approaches by involving students at 70 schools in the design and creation of "school food gardens".

About Roche Children's Walk: A day powered by employees
Roche Children's Walk is the company’s signature worldwide employee project. Since the first company-wide walk in 2003, more than 200,000 Roche employees have participated and raised over CHF 15.4 million.

All money collected by employees is matched by Roche and used to support children’s causes in communities around the world. Funds are applied to local NGOs or channelled through the Roche Employee Action and Charity Trust (Re&Act), a legally independent charity.

About Roche
Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people’s lives. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof have made Roche the leader in personalised healthcare - a strategy that aims to fit the right treatment to each patient in the best way possible.

Roche is the world's largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management.

Founded in 1896, Roche continues to search for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and make a sustainable contribution to society. The company also aims for improving patient access to medical innovations by working with all relevant stakeholders. Twenty-eight medicines developed by Roche are included in the World Health Organization Model Lists of Essential Medicines, among them life-saving antibiotics, antimalarials and cancer medicines. Roche has been recognised as the Group Leader in sustainability within the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences Industry eight years in a row by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).

The Roche Group, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is active in over 100 countries and in 2016 employed more than 94,000 people worldwide. In 2016, Roche invested CHF 9.9 billion in R&D and posted sales of CHF 50.6 billion. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan.