Hanoi (VNA)♛ -  AstraZeneca has recently announced a new investment package of 50 million USD into Vietnam as part of the company’s global AZ Forest programme, which by the end of 2022 had planted over 10.5 million trees worldwide.

Over the next five years, 22.5 million trees will be planted on an area of at least 30,500 hectares to restore Vietnam’s forests and landscapes, allowing biodiversity to flourish, while providing sustainable livelihoods for over 17,000 smallholder farmers. Reforestation will be designed to maximise co-benefits such as broad-scale biodiversity gains; improved diets and nutrition for local communities; soil and water conservation; climate resilience; and reducing the risks of natural disasters and carbon sequestration. The investment announced by AstraZeneca will play an important role in realising the Vietnamese Government’s 2050 net zero strategy, which was committed at COP26, said Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son. Minister Son added that the AZ Forest programme would also contribute to the country’s ongoing plan to plant one billion trees by 2025 as a part of Vietnam’s Forestry Development Strategy. The 50-million-USD investment package will be used for agroforestry, which includes the production of sustainable timber, fruits and nuts, essential oils, and resins, as well as increasing agricultural productivity through intercropping and developing sustainable market value chains. It complements AstraZeneca’s ongoing 310 million USD investment into Vietnam from 2020 to 2030 to reduce the burden of diseases, strengthen the health system, uplift the domestic biopharmaceutical R&D and manufacturing capabilities, and develop local talent. “Following the discussion between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and AstraZeneca CEO Sir Pascal Soriot in Hanoi last May, we are pleased to announce this programme, which further demonstrates our long-term commitment to Vietnam. We recognise the deep interconnection between population and planetary health, and believe that this programme will significantly benefit our local economy, communities, and the environment over the next 30 years,” said Nitin Kapoor, Chairman and General Director of AstraZeneca Vietnam and Asia Area Frontier Markets.

AZ Forest is AstraZeneca’s commitment to plant and maintain over 50 million trees by the end of 2025 in partnership with experts and local communities. AZ Forest projects support planetary and human health with significant socio-economic co-benefits, and complement AstraZeneca’s science-based net zero strategy, Ambition Zero Carbon.

British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca’s contributions to vaccine diplomacy, the fight against Covid-19, and advancements in cancer treatment and disease awareness programs in Vietnam have earned it Certificates of Merit from the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health. AstraZeneca has also been recognized as one of Vietnam’s Top 100 Best Places to Work for four consecutive years. AstraZeneca was ranked Number 1 in the Invention of Idea Pharma’s 2023 Pharmaceutical Innovation and Invention Index, and has been the leader in terms of industry-sponsored clinical trials in Vietnam. Of the 360 million USD that AstraZeneca has committed to invest in Vietnam until 2030, a significant amount has been dedicated to research and development to further strengthen the country’s research capabilities and increase early access to new medicines. AstraZeneca’s innovative medicines have improved the lives of millions of Vietnamese patients with non-communicable diseases, while its Covid-19 vaccine played an important role in Vietnam’s fight against the pandemic. In addition, AstraZeneca commitment to sustainability is evident in its initiatives to promote access to healthcare, protect the environment, and uphold ethics and transparency in Vietnam. As part of the company’s impactful partnerships with the Ministry of Health and healthcare organizations, AstraZeneca has run various community investment programs to promote disease awareness, prevention, and early detection./.