Press Release: Novartis celebrates 21st annual Community Partnership Day with over 24,500 associates volunteering in their local communities

Novartis International AG / Novartis celebrates 21st annual Community Partnership Day with over 24,500 associates volunteering in their local communities . Processed and transmitted by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

-- Community Partnership Day symbolizes the company's commitment to improving people's lives and serving our local communities

-- Follow the excitement with #NovartisCPD2017 and #proudmoments2017 via the Novartis Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn channels

Basel, May 11, 2017 - Today, in celebration of their 21(st) annual Community Partnership Day, more than 24,500 Novartis associates across six continents and 52 countries are making a difference in the communities where they live and work. Novartis associates volunteering their time to support social institutions and nonprofit organizations represents more than 187,000 hours of combined community service.

"Community Partnership Day demonstrates the massive potential for good that we can achieve on a global scale when we unite to lend a helping hand to people who need our support," said Joe Jimenez, CEO of Novartis.

"Associate volunteering is a key component of our strategic commitment to corporate responsibility, adds Juergen Brokatzky-Geiger, Head of Corporate Responsibility. "It offers a huge opportunity for our associates to leverage their strengths and skills to deliver on our mission of discovering new ways to improve and extend people's lives."

In Switzerland, more than 3,000 associates are volunteering across 60 communities, with activities ranging from helping people with disabilities, assisting hospitals and schools, to performing landscaping activities and restoring nature habitats.

In the United States, over 4,500 associates are volunteering with elementary schools, libraries, soup kitchens, women's shelters and senior citizen homes, as well as running food and blood drives.

In Asia, more than 5,000 associates are volunteering across a number of countries, including China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore, to assist with free health screenings, participate in blood drives and provide services to local hospitals and orphanages.

Follow the #NovartisCPD2017 story on Twitter https://twitter.com/search?q=%23novartiscpd2017&src=typd , Facebook https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=%23novartiscpd2017 and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/novartiscpd2017/?hl=en !

About Novartis

Novartis provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, cost-saving generic and biosimilar pharmaceuticals and eye care. Novartis has leading positions globally in each of these areas. In 2016, the Group achieved net sales of USD 48.5 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted to approximately USD 9.0 billion. Novartis Group companies employ approximately 118,000 full-time-equivalent associates. Novartis products are sold in approximately 155 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com.

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Novartis Media Relations

Central media line: +41 61 324 2200

E-mail: media.relations@novartis.com

Eric Althoff Novartis Global Media Relations +41 61 324 7999 (direct) +41 79 593 4202 (mobile) eric.althoff@novartis.com

Novartis Investor Relations

Central investor relations line: +41 61 324 7944

E-mail: investor.relations@novartis.com

Central North America Samir Shah +41 61 324 7944 Richard Pulik +1 212 830 2448 Pierre-Michel Bringer +41 61 324 1065 Cory Twining +1 212 830 2417 Thomas Hungerbuehler +41 61 324 8425 Isabella Zinck +41 61 324 7188

Media release (PDF): http://hugin.info/134323/R/2103589/798009.pdf

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Source: Novartis International AG via Globenewswire

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Novartis International AG

P.O. Box Basel Switzerland

WKN: 904278;ISIN: CH0012005267;

http://www.novartis.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires

   May 11, 2017 01:15 ET (05:15 GMT)- - 01 15 AM EDT 05-11-17