Novartis China has announced a donation of CNY200,000 to a Sun Village in Shunyi District, Beijing from 2008 to 2009, for the medical services of inmates' children.

Li Zhenfu, president of Novartis China, told local media that the CNY100,000 donation will be used for these children's medical care each year, including buying medicine for common diseases; payment of diagnosis and hospital fees; accident insurance; medical insurance; vaccine injections; and epidemic prevention.

Beijing Sun Village is a non-profit organization officially registered with the local municipality and providing special education, psychological counseling and vocational training services to inmates' children. The number of children in Beijing Sun Village has increased to 130 since 2007, and some of them are suffering from respiratory, digestive and skin diseases. Novartis says it has been helping children in the Sun Village since 1999, and its total donation has added up to CNY850,000.

As one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, Novartis says it has been committed to helping people with diseases, relieve threir pain and improve the quality of life. Aside from expanding its business in China, the company has also made contributions to public welfare. In 2006, Novartis  was nominated for the China Charity Prize by Ministry of Civil Affairs and won the Soong Ching Ling Camphor Tree Award by China Soong Ching Ling Foundation. For the May 12 earthquake in Sichuan, Novartis has donated CNY15 million, and employee donations reached nearly CNY1 million.