AZTH recognizes the importance of not only those environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues that impact their business, but also how their business impacts ESG matters. Gathering broad stakeholder input to help them refine their approach, it is through the open and transparent dialogues with their stakeholders that they uncover solutions to advance the health of people, the planet, and the society. 

Their three interconnected sustainability priorities, which are access to healthcare, environmental protection, and ethics and transparency are underpinned by nine material focus areas where they can make the most impact. AZTH believes that integrating sustainability into everything that they do future-proofs their business to make it resilient in challenging times, helping ensure they can continue to deliver life-changing medicines to patients. 

AZTH acknowledges that their people are their greatest asset, noting that their workforce are people who live and breathe their purpose of pushing the boundaries of science and delivering life-changing medicines. Through fostering an environment where their people feel they belong, employees are empowered to reach their full potential and perform at their best; setting themselves up to make the biggest possible difference to their patients, a meaningful contribution to society, and a positive impact on the planet.

While engaging in a life-long learning culture, employees are also encouraged to demonstrate inclusive leadership by speaking up and presenting fresh perspectives. As a company that values an innovative and collaborative culture, AZTH provides multiple avenues for their employees to improve themselves.

On the community front, AZTH has kept engagement with the community close to their hearts. AZTH, in collaboration with Plan International Thailand, drives the Young Health Programme (YHP), a global disease prevention programme focusing on young people that aims to prevent the most common non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease, and mental ill health. 

In line with the global YHP Theory of Change, the programme is implemented using four key inter-related and reinforcing strategies, which are empowering young people, mobilizing communities, strengthening health systems and advocating for policy change. This model ensures that AZTH is not just working with young people in isolation, but also strengthening the systems and structures in their environment, which contribute to their health and well-being.

Delivered in partnership with Plan International and UNICEF, and backed by research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, YHP was founded in 2010 as AstraZeneca’s global community investment initiative; with their employees providing volunteer support for many of the programmes. The YHP in Thailand is a five-year programme that started in July 2019, and the achievements so far include Peer Educator Capacity Building Program, increase community knowledge and awareness on NCDs, social media campaign for the engagement of indirect beneficiaries, and strengthen youth-friendly health services.     

For YHP Thailand, the direct beneficiaries of the program are 75,000 young people, aged between 10 and 24 years old, from the target districts in the Greater Bangkok area and Samutprakan. To name a few, from July 2019 – June 2022, it reached over 3.5 million young people and over 2.1 million adults on social media campaign. Additionally, it also reached 50,345 young people through Peer Educator and YHP school health programs, empowered 2,185 teachers through training, and reached 7,582 parents and caregivers through online and onsite learning sessions.