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72 About Strategy and Governance Our People Our Business Our Outcome AppendixOur Social Impact StrategyIn 2023 we developed our Social Impact Strategy, which is closely aligned with our purpose of enriching people%u2019s lives and specifies how we are working to reach the Sustainability Strategy%u2019s objective of making a positive local impact. The Strategy provides guidance about how to make a positive local impact. For example, it states that social impact activities fall into three categories: (1) monetary or in-kind donations to non-political/non-religious groups whose primary purpose is to support groups such as children, the elderly, less privileged members of society or communities affected by adverse events, (2) organizing local community activities, and (3) engaging in partnerships to support local impact activities. The Strategy does not cover the sponsorship of activities with a commercial background, employee activities, or programs. In addition, as stated in our Code of Conduct, DKSH does not engage in political processes or donate to political causes.The Social Impact Strategy was developed based on the commitment set out in our existing policies, such as our Code of Conduct. We also benchmarked our approach against selected competitors and peers, and collected input from our Business Units and market teams.The Strategy brings together initiatives at three different levels. Firstly, our globally driven social impact initiatives aim to contribute to the development of our local communities. They are proposed and coordinated by Group Sustainability.Secondly, each Business Unit will drive social impact initiatives aligned with its business activities. The initiatives will be selected, funded, and implemented by the Business Unit. Our Business Units will focus on the following impacts:%u2023 Consumer Goods: Working to provide access to food and non-food products for people facing hunger and in need in our local communities, reducing waste in the process%u2023 Healthcare: Forging access to healthcare for all members of our local communities%u2023 Performance Materials: Giving children access to healthy nutrition and education without barriers%u2023 Technology: Supporting education in the community by providing access to science and technologyThirdly, we will implement initiatives driven by our markets. The market teams will define, fund, execute, and track these initiatives. Potential initiatives here include blood donations and volunteering in patient outreach and soup kitchens.In 2023 and the preceding years, we conducted a number of initiatives and projects that now fall within the scope of the Social Impact Strategy. We give back and create healthier and happier communities, for example by engaging in charitable projects and selected sponsorship programs. During 2023, we supported 94 charitable projects in 24 markets as part of our commitment to the local communities where we operate. Charitable activities took place in 100 % of our significant markets. The following paragraphs provide an overview of our activities in the Business Units and markets.Business Unit Healthcare: Promoting Access to Food, Medicines, and HealthcareIn keeping with our objective to Make a Positive Local Impact, our Business Unit Healthcare undertakes a range of activities to generate positive local impact. Our teams engage in projects to improve access to medicines and healthcare within their local areas of reach. For example, we choose to donate rather than destroy products and supply life-saving products to the best of our ability.In 2023, DKSH%u2019s Business Unit Healthcare launched its inaugural Patient Purpose Day across 11 global markets. This annual initiative took place in the month of September in conjunction with World Patient Safety Day, with more than 5,000 employees participating from the Business Unit and eight client partners supporting the initiative. It reinforces the company%u2019s commitment to enhancing patient outcomes and fostering a more meaningful impact on the healthcare landscape.As part of the initiative, DKSH has partnered with the local Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in key Southeast Asian markets, including Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia. This work seeks to support ongoing humanitarian causes that strongly align with DKSH%u2019s commitment to improving the quality of life in the communities it serves. These causes include health screenings for disadvantaged people in rural areas, the ElderAid program for senior citizens, and investments in disaster preparedness and response. We collected corporate donations of more than CHF 25,000 as part of this initiative.Moreover, our Business Unit Healthcare is carrying out onsite activities involving key client partners in Taiwan, the Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar, Switzerland, Australia, and Korea. In the Philippines, for instance, we partnered with the Philippine Heart Center and Philippines General Hospital. We also joined forces with Pink Ribbon in Switzerland and donated CHF 2,800 to the Taiwan Foundation for Rare Disorders in Taiwan.