Pfizer Launches 'An Accord for a Healthier World' to Improve Health Equity for 1.2 Billion People Living in 45 Lower-Income Countries
- Pfizer will provide all its current and future patent-protected medicines and vaccines available in the U.S. or EU on a not-for-profit basis to 45 lower-income countries.
- Rwanda, Ghana, Malawi, Senegal and Uganda are the first five countries to commit to join the Accord. Health officials in these countries will help identify and resolve hurdles beyond supply to inform the rollout in all 45 lower-income countries.
- Pfizer calls upon global health leaders and organizations to join the Accord, bringing their expertise and resources to close the health equity gap and help create a healthier world for 1.2 billion people.
DAVOS, Switzerland, May 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) today launched 'An Accord for a Healthier World.' This groundbreaking initiative aims to provide all of Pfizer's patented, high-quality medicines and vaccines available in the U.S. or the European Union on a not-for-profit basis to 1.2 billion people in 45 lower-income countries. The Accord seeks to greatly reduce the health inequities that exist between many lower-income countries and the rest of the world.
"As we learned in the global COVID-19 vaccine rollout, supply is only the first step to helping patients. We will work closely with global health leaders to make improvements in diagnosis, education, infrastructure, storage and more. Only when all the obstacles are overcome can we end healthcare inequities and deliver for all patients," said Pfizer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla.
The Accord countries include all 27 low-income countries as well as 18 lower-middle-income countries that have transitioned from low to lower-middle-income classification in the last ten years. Pfizer will work with healthcare officials in Rwanda, Ghana, Malawi, Senegal and Uganda to identify early insights and opportunities to ensure all medicines and vaccines can reach those in need. This will include expertise to support diagnosis, healthcare professional education and training along with supply chain management and other infrastructure enhancements. Learnings from these five countries will be applied to support the roll out for the remaining forty countries.
Pfizer will also collaborate with Accord participants to identify quick and efficient regulatory pathways and procurement processes to reduce the longer amount of time it can take to make new medicines and vaccines available in these countries.
Under the Accord, Pfizer has committed to provide 23 medicines and vaccines that treat infectious diseases, certain cancers, and rare and inflammatory diseases. Making these medicines and vaccines more readily available has the potential to treat non-communicable and infectious diseases that claim the lives of nearly one million people each year in these countries and chronic diseases that significantly impact quality of life for at least half a million more[1]. As Pfizer launches new medicines and vaccines, those products will also be included in the Accord portfolio on a not-for-profit basis.
The Accord also aims to establish faster access to Pfizer's future pipeline medicines and vaccines on a not-for-profit-basis to the 45 countries, particularly those that treat diseases that disproportionately impact global health. To further this commitment, Pfizer, with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is advancing work on the development of vaccine candidates for the prevention of Group B Streptococcus (GBS), which is a leading cause of stillbirth and newborn mortality in low-income countries. They are also discussing opportunities to support Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine development, another maternal vaccine.
"Everyone, no matter where they live, should have the same access to innovative, life-saving drugs and vaccines," said Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "The Accord for a Healthier World could help millions more people in low-income countries get the tools they need to live a healthy life. Pfizer is setting an example for other companies to follow."
"Rapid and affordable access to the most advanced medicines and vaccines is the cornerstone of global health equity. Pfizer's commitment under the Accord program sets a new standard in this regard. Combined with additional investments in strengthening Africa's public health systems and pharmaceutical regulators, the Accord is an important step toward sustainable health security for countries at every income level," said His Excellency Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda.
"We must continue to strive for quality healthcare for all people to live longer, stronger and healthier lives," said His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana. "It will require strong cooperation between the public and private sectors. We are proud to join this Accord to work together on this important goal."
"Senegal proudly supports the launch of An Accord for a Healthier World to improve health equity and outcomes for the people of our country and across the world," said His Excellency Macky Sall, President of Senegal. "Together, we will work for a better world."
"The great thing about this Accord is that it helps low-income countries without violating their dignity and agency as people, for it is a true partnership that involves both Pfizer and countries like Malawi sharing the burden of costs and tasks in the production and delivery of supplies that will save millions of lives. This is how all global problems should be tackled," said His Excellency Lazarus Chakwera, President of Malawi.
"It is the time to close the health equity gap," said His Excellency Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda. "Uganda is proud to join the Accord, and we are committed to working with Pfizer and all Accord partners to find new ways to address access challenges."
Further details about An Accord for a Healthier World are available at Pfizer.com/Accord.
About Pfizer: Breakthroughs That Change Patients' Lives
At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products, including innovative medicines and vaccines. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 170 years, we have worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website at www.Pfizer.com. In addition, to learn more, please visit us on www.Pfizer.com and follow us on Twitter at @Pfizer and @Pfizer News, LinkedIn, YouTube and like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Pfizer.
Disclosure Notice
The information contained in this release is as of May 25, 2022. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this release as the result of new information or future events or developments.
This release contains forward-looking statements about the Company's launch of "An Accord for A Healthier World", its efforts to provide all of its current and future patent-protected medicines and vaccines available in the U.S or the EU on a not-for-profit basis to 45 lower-income countries and its collaborations with global health leaders, that involves substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including the ability to meet anticipated clinical endpoints, commencement and/or completion dates for our clinical trials, regulatory submission dates, regulatory approval dates and/or launch dates, as well as the possibility of unfavorable new clinical data and further analyses of existing clinical data;; decisions by regulatory authorities impacting labeling, manufacturing processes, safety and/or other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of Pfizer's product candidates, including development of products or therapies by other companies; manufacturing capabilities or capacity; uncertainties regarding the ability to obtain recommendations from vaccine technical committees and other public health authorities and uncertainties regarding the commercial impact of any such recommendations; the uncertainties inherent in business and financial planning, including, without limitation, risks related to Pfizer's business and prospects, adverse developments in Pfizer's markets, or adverse developments in the U.S. or global capital markets, credit markets, regulatory environment or economies generally; the impact of COVID-19 on our business, operations and financial results; and competitive developments.
A further description of risks and uncertainties can be found in Pfizer's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 and in its subsequent reports on Form 10-Q, including in the sections thereof captioned "Risk Factors" and "Forward-Looking Information and Factors That May Affect Future Results", as well as in its subsequent reports on Form 8-K, all of which are filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov and www.pfizer.com.
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[1] Internal calculations based on data collected via https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-compare/
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