Correspondence: Andrey Rogachev, Roche Products (Pty) Ltd, PO Box 129 Isando 1600, 4 Brewery Street Isando, South Africa. Tel: +27 11 928 8897; Fax: +27 11 974 7405; e-mail: andrey.rogachev@roche.com

¹is a risk manager at F.Hoffmann — La Roche (Basel, Switzerland), who has been appointed as a marketing controller of company representation in Johannesburg (Roche South Africa) since March 2008. Prior to his current assignment in South Africa, Mr Rogachev worked as a financial controller of Roche Moscow (company affiliate in Russia) for about a year. He has eight years of experience in risk management and four years in pharmaceutical business. Mr Rogachev is a Certified Business Resilience Manager (CBRM) and has MA degrees in Economics as well as in Finance Management.

Received 15 April 2008; Revised 15 April 2008; Published online 23 May 2008.

Abstract

The statistical data provided by the Healthcare Monitoring Department of the Ministry for Healthcare and Social Development of the Russian Federation give evidence that, unfortunately, there is an unswerving growth of general morbidity among the adult population. As the population's morbidity grows, the pharmaceuticals market increases. Ever more international companies enter the Russian market, giving the domestic producers a good run for their money. The government designs federal programmes targeted at reducing morbidity, disability and mortality among the population, improving the quantity and quality of disease diagnostics, and improving the quality of life of the people suffering from serious illnesses. Territorial programmes are also implemented aimed primarily at prophylactic activities. Some pharmaceutical companies provide their own support to the social programmes initiated at the federal level.