BD to Increase Access to Vital Cervical Cancer Screening in Resource-Limited Settings Through Commitment to Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon Initiative®

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., Sept. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medical technology company, today announced a commitment to Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon®, an innovative initiative to leverage public and private investments in global health to combat cervical and breast cancer led by the George W. Bush Institute, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

BD's commitment to Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon is to help achieve widespread, sustainable access to state-of-the-art cervical cancer diagnostic technology for women in countries currently supported by PEPFAR.  To accomplish this goal, BD will provide deeply discounted pricing on its vital cervical cancer diagnostic tests in these developing and emerging countries.  This discount translates to approximately 10 million dollars for every one million women that are screened.  

To help strengthen the technical capabilities on the ground, BD will provide education and training for laboratory staff and healthcare workers on screening for cervical cancer. BD will also collaborate with the Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon initiative participants to develop in-country guidelines and policies for effective cervical cancer screening.

"We're grateful for BD's commitment and investment in the Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon initiative," said Eric Bing, Senior Fellow and Director of Global Health at the George W. Bush Institute. "Our goal is to reduce deaths from cervical cancer by an estimated 25% among women screened and treated through the initiative, significantly increase access to cervical cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment and breast cancer awareness programs, and create innovative models that can be scaled up and used globally. Our founding corporate partner's generosity and commitment to saving lives is a critical part of ensuring we meet these goals."

"BD shares a common goal with The George W. Bush Institute, UNAIDS and the United States Government to leverage the world's investment and experience in HIV to strengthen the response to non-communicable diseases, beginning with cervical cancer," said Vincent A. Forlenza, President and Chief Operating Officer, BD.  "To help save the lives of millions of women and girls, BD is committed to deploying our advanced technologies and capabilities to enable effective cervical cancer screening worldwide."

Cervical cancer is the leading cause of death among young women in developing countries.  It is the most common women's cancer in Africa and is the third most common cancer in women, affecting 529,000 women and killing 275,000 women each year. In some parts of Latin America, cervical cancer diagnosis and death rates rival those seen in Africa. More than 85 percent of the global burden of cervical cancer occurs in developing countries, where it accounts for 13 percent of all female cancers, yet fewer than 5 percent of women have access to screening even once in a lifetime. (SOURCE: PRRR)

BD's cervical cancer diagnostic technologies utilize liquid-based cytology, a method of preparing cervical cells for examination in a laboratory. The centrifuging process in liquid-based cytology allows for clearer, more uniform samples that are easier for laboratory staff to analyze. This also helps reduce the number of unreadable or inconclusive tests, requiring fewer women to return to clinics for repeat testing.

About Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon

Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon is an innovative initiative to leverage public and private investments in global health to combat cervical and breast cancer – two of the leading causes of cancer death in women – in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.   Led by the George W. Bush Institute, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon will expand the availability of vital cervical cancer screening and treatment and breast care education – especially for women most at risk in developing nations because they have HIV.

The initiative will leverage the platform and resources of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief's (PEPFAR) care model – established under President Bush and a cornerstone of President Obama's Global Health Initiative (GHI) – and will draw from lessons learned in the significant scaling-up of access to HIV services in recent years.

With initial commitments of $80 million across 5 years, Pink Ribbon will expand to achieve the goals of reducing deaths from cervical cancer by an estimated 25% among women screened and treated through the initiative, significantly increase access to breast and cervical cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment programs, and create innovative models that can be scaled up and used globally.

About BD

BD is a leading global medical technology company that develops, manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. The Company is dedicated to improving people's health throughout the world.  BD is focused on improving drug delivery, enhancing the quality and speed of diagnosing infectious diseases and cancers, and advancing research, discovery and production of new drugs and vaccines. BD's capabilities are instrumental in combating many of the world's most pressing diseases. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, BD employs approximately 29,000 associates in more than 50 countries throughout the world. The Company serves healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, the pharmaceutical industry and the general public. For more information, please visit www.bd.com.

Contact: Alyssa Zeff
BD Public Relations
(201) 847-4358
Alyssa_Zeff@bd.com

SOURCE BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)