Spreading HOPE: How Teva is improving access to medicines across the globe

In high-income countries, more than 80% of children diagnosed with cancer will survive. Yet in some low- and middle-income countries, this number tragically drops to 20%. 01

At a UN General Assembly meeting in 2018, Dr. David G. Poplack, Global HOPE founding director (now retired) discovered that Teva provides a significant portion of the medicines that treat pediatric cancer, which can help change this reality. That’s when Teva’s partnership with Texas Children Hospitals’ Global HOPE (Hematology-Oncology Pediatric Excellence) program was born.

Global HOPE takes a sustainable approach to treating children with cancer and blood disorders, addressing inequities in care by: 

1. Training doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals (HCPs) 
2. Enhancing access to essential medicines 
3. Improving pediatric healthcare facilities 

Between 2021 and 2024, Teva donated approximately 1.5 million doses of medicines (worth about $27 million) to patients in Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania, Botswana and Rwanda, with the help of Direct Relief. This includes about 20 different types of medicines, such as chemotherapy, anti-infectives, anti-fungal and hormone therapy. And during the COVID-19 pandemic, we mobilized quickly to assure essential medicines and supplies continued to reach patients in the region. 

We also support training programs to teach HCPs how to handle these medicines and help patients access them. In 2024, we trained 234 HCPs, who went on to diagnose 1,731 patients. We also awarded 11 scholarships to nurses and a medical officer and organized 3 workshops for 141 HCPs on professional well-being.

For Teva, the partnership with Global HOPE supports our targets to increase access to medicines, which are integrated into our business strategy, with some tied to executive compensation and a sustainability-linked bond. We have launched nine access to medicines programs around the world to date (exceeding our commitment of eight by 2025), getting our medicines to more people who need them, including in low- and middle-income countries. 

Prior to his retirement in 2024, Dr. Poplack paid tribute to the partnership’s impact: “I’ve seen a lot in pediatric cancer over many years, but of all the things I’ve been involved in, Global HOPE and this partnership with Teva has the greatest potential medical impact. There is much we can do together to save many thousands of lives. If we’re able to improve survival by 40%, 40,000 children per year will be saved. It’s an amazing statistic.” 

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