Philips Foundation to collaborate with Red Cross and UNICEF

The Philips Foundation has announced it will be collaborating with global aid charities the Red Cross and UNICEF in a bid to improve healthcare access for some of the world's most vulnerable people.

Joining forces will allow the organisations to explore innovative solutions and new technologies that could be used to provide relief to disadvantaged areas, or communities affected by disasters.

Chief market leader at Royal Philips and chairman of the Philips Foundation Ronald de Jong commented: "In 2015, as the world prepares to define the Post-2015 Development Agenda, it's clear that the only way to overcome many of the global challenges is through cross-sector collaboration."

To begin with, Philips will be working with the Red Cross to provide solar lighting to improve safety among vulnerable communities, while also looking at how emergency management can be as sustainable as possible.

What's more, the foundation's collaboration with UNICEF will allow it to devote time to new products and techniques designed to be used in the first 1,000 days of children's lives – an attempt to significantly lower infant mortality rates in developing countries.