Corporate Social Responsibility an Obligation, Not an Option

Creating a positive impact in the community is no longer an option but a social imperative. Every business, regardless of the industry or size, must set up practices to transform our world into a more prosperous place for all. This is not something that one organization or sector can achieve on its own, it must be done in a collaborative effort between companies, government, and society to engage in actions that provide an innovative and sustainable boost to people’s well-being. 

For AMIIF, social responsibility is a key pillar. Two years ago, in our strategic plan with an outlook to 2030, we incorporated adherence to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including five specific goals, beginning with SGD No. 3, which is related to health and has the challenge of  helping to reduce premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases by one-third by 2030. 

One of the most important SDGs is that related to strategic partnerships. We have developed strategic partnerships with key stakeholders to meet this goal to benefit the community. In recent years, we have worked closely with the Red Cross, benefiting more than 30,500 people through various programs, including  the collaboration agreement to promote the prevention of diseases with higher incidence rates, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory ailments. This year, AMIIF and its affiliates supported the Red Cross in its altruistic blood donation drive.

We have also partnered with Save the Children to support early childhood development. Another one of our strategic partners is Direct Relief – a humanitarian organization based in the US state of California that has operations in Mexico – which we supported with the logistics required to bring 17.8 million doses of vaccines donated by the US to Mexico. I am honored to sit on the Board of this organization in Mexico.

In August 2021, we entered a partnership with the International Association for Sustainable Economy (IASE) to join efforts toward a common goal centered on innovation and sustainable development under environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria, thus taking a step forward with these initiatives to measure the quality of our organizations. 

Health and Well-Being, Our Main Responsibilities

Concerning SDG No. 3, which focuses on health and well-being, our most important actions have focused on creating the best conditions to ensure access to innovation. Innovation has proven to be a determining factor in facing the pandemic and bringing new drugs and vaccines that have helped improve the quality of life of patients suffering from infectious, low-prevalence and noncommunicable diseases as well as mental health conditions. 

The industry invests more than US $180 billion annually in clinical research and has invested the most worldwide since the beginning of the pandemic. Simply stated, developing COVID-19 vaccines in less than one year has guaranteed everyone a safer situation. Today, there is research that new mRNA platforms will bring new drugs and treatments that will change the course of diseases and allow people to live an almost normal life. 

With the onset of the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we took several actions in 2020 and 2021, such as donating US$7.5 million in equipment, face masks and healthcare materials to different institutional hospitals. During 2019 and 2020, AMIIF promoted a collaborative relationship between Direct Relief and the Mexican Ministry  of Foreign Affairs that led to the donation of large amounts of medicine and broad support during the pandemic, including 1 million face masks. 

In 2020 and 2021, we ran a successful support program, known as “We Also Take Care of Ourselves,” with the Mexican Psychiatric Association and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and promoted a telemedicine platform so the association of psychiatrists could donate consults to doctors on the frontline of COVID-19 care.

In 2021, we additionally contributed with donations to more than 20 organizations dedicated to different causes, such as education, disease prevention, support for rare diseases, and diversity and inclusion. In this manner, AMIIF continuously encourages our associates to invest in treating diseases and addressing public health issues.

We recently supported the civil organization Esquipulas as it organized the 22nd Ophthalmological Campaign in San Cristobal de las Casas in the state of Chiapas, where it operates a clinic offering indigenous people dental and general healthcare. We started supporting this organization three years ago because we share the same social commitment of transforming lives. We believe it is important to ensure that healthcare services, supplies and medicines reach everyone who needs them.

Global Compact: Accelerating Our Efforts 

Given our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, two years ago, we were approved by the UN Global Compact to accelerate our actions to meet the SDGs. We prepare an annual report for this organization recounting the related efforts made by business corporations and AMIIF. 

In this manner, we demonstrate our commitment to a new way of doing business, which includes protecting the environment, providing community support, and ensuring corporate governance of companies, which is inherent to protecting human rights and acting under strict standards of ethics and transparency.