npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/03/15/592283220/global-fund-pounded-for-partnering-with-heineken

Peter Sands took over this month as the new head of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. But before he'd even officially taken his seat at the Fund's offices in Geneva, he was under attack for a new partnership with Heineken.

In January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Global Fund announced it was partnering with Heineken to "fight infectious diseases in Africa." The world's second largest beer company will help the Global Fund with the delivery of health-care supplies in markets where Heineken already has an extensive distribution system.

A coalition of global health organizations, however, many of whom focus on alcohol and drug abuse, called for the Global Fund to cancel the Heineken alliance.

In an open letter to Sands, who supported the deal, the health advocates said alcohol is a major risk factor for the spread of HIV and TB. They also said alcohol adversely affects development efforts such as "poverty eradication, health for all, gender equality, economic prosperity, sustainable consumption, ending violence and building safer and resilient cities."

They also believe that the partnership creates a conflict of interest. One part of the beer company could be working with local health ministries to improve their pharmaceutical distribution networks while another part of the company could be working against those same ministries to potentially block new alcohol control measures.

"We very much see this as an incompatible partnership for global health," says Katie Dain, the CEO of the NCD Alliance, a coalition of groups that focus on non-communicable diseases, and one of the lead authors of the open letter condemning the Heineken/Global Fund deal.

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fox19.com/story/37697823/ohio-brewery-packaging-2-million-cans-of-drinking-water-for-red-cross

As the saying goes, it's better to be safe than sorry. That seems to be the mantra for a brewery in Ohio.

MillerCoors Brewery in Trenton is packing more than two million cans of drinking water over the next three years for the American Red Cross, the organization said.

This effort is part of a national partnership which goes toward helping people impacted by disasters, said the Red Cross.

There's no specific disaster the brewery is packaging the clean water for currently, their effort will keep the cans of water on hand for future needs.

“The Trenton Brewery was proud to be selected to produce canned water for humanitarian relief,” says Denise Quinn, Trenton Brewery Plant Manager. “Participating in the community as a true partner is the right thing to do, especially when there's a disaster that affects our friends, neighbors and family members from having safe drinking water to consume.”

The water canned at the MillerCoors Brewery is being made available during disasters like house fires, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, and wildfires. Requesting relief agencies receive the shipments to ensure that clean water is provided to people in need, said the Red Cross.

“Providing clean water during a disaster is one of the most urgent and important needs,” says Patricia Smitson, CEO of the Greater Cincinnati-Dayton Region of the American Red Cross. “Often drinking water becomes contaminated or inaccessible after a disaster, but the basic human need for water doesn’t diminish. Having these cans of clean water provided by MillerCoors allows the Red Cross to meet the basic humanitarian needs of those impacted by a disaster during a very critical time.”

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