"Coca-Cola’s Last Mile: From Fizzy Drinks to Medical Supplies", 17 July 2014

Coca-Cola as a medical supplies deliverer? One of its community programs, Project Last Mile…leverages the company’s vast distribution network to increase and improve the delivery of medical supplies to 10 African countries by 2019…Partnering with national and local governments, the initiative takes advantage of Cola-Cola’s prowess in supply chain, distribution and marketing. Other organizations…work with Coke and government officials to procure and distribute medicines to rural areas…According to a local…official, Last Mile has…increased [the] availability of medicines by as much as 30 percent since the [programme’s launch]…Over 5,500 health clinics…have benefited to date…This project is another example of how companies can embark on a corporate social responsibility platform using tools already at their disposal…Coca-Cola’s investment in rural African health care will not silence its critics who are wary of the company’s…impacts on issues related to water consumption and…nutrition. But programs such as Project Last Mile offer far more benefit... [also refers to Ford, CISCO]