Health – Education and prevention

Whilst insurance companies may not be able to protect people from illness, Munich Re is nevertheless very much committed to helping create a healthier society by supporting health education, promoting sporting activities, and financing life-saving technology.

In spite of all progress, there are diseases that have not yet been conquered, while many can be treated provided they are recognised in good time. And there are yet again others that could be avoided through a combination of sport and a healthy diet. It is therefore in Munich Re's interest to disseminate knowledge about health and to promote measures specifically designed to diagnose, treat and prevent diseases.

Promoting health education

We mainly support projects that focus on health education. For example, ERGO has been cooperating since 1997 with the German Hygiene Museum in Dresden via the DKV brand. The museum has set itself the task of promoting health education in an attractive and modern way, a goal to which the DKV as the largest private health insurer in Europe is also committed. In the form of a » public-private partnership, the DKV funds the German Hygiene Museum. In addition to sponsoring project-related cooperations, the funds are used to support all the work done by the museum, so that society also benefits.

ERGO Poland and ERGO Estonia are planning country-wide tours in so-called mammobuses to educate women about breast cancer. The buses will park at public meeting points such as cinemas to offer women a free medical examination (mammography). The bus tour will be backed by an information campaign on breast cancer.

Promoting exercise and sport

A further aspect of ERGO’s social commitment is to promote health through sport. The annual DKV bridge race is another example of our involvement in this area. In past years, ERGO staff have taken part in the bridge race as a personal sponsored run, with ERGO donating one euro to a social project for each kilometre completed. In Munich too, staff are encouraged to participate in an annual company run. Every year, a share of the starting fees is donated to a different regional charity programme.

Saving lives by donating blood

The staff at ERGO Hestia in Poland are personally committed to the health of their compatriots: a specially equipped ambulance travels six times a year to ERGO’s Polish headquarters and collects blood donations. Since 2005, a total of 336 litres of life-saving blood supplies have been obtained in this way. Employees also donate blood regularly at the main offices in Germany and, in doing so, make a valuable contribution to the treatment of the sick and accident victims.

Help for sick and homeless children

Helping people in critical life situations is also a focus of the charitable work of ERGO and MEAG. As one of the main sponsors of the Madeleine Schickedanz-KinderKrebs-Stiftung, ERGO contributes to increasing the chances of recovery for young cancer sufferers. In the past two years, the proceeds from MEAG's annual Christmas raffle went to the parent initiative for child cancer sufferers Elterninitiative Krebskranke Kinder and to the Münchner Waisenhaus orphanage.