Breaking Barriers: Global Health Equity Initiatives

Globally, access to life-saving medications is far from equitable. Pfizer is working to change that—breaking down geographical, economic, and systemic barriers so that everyone, everywhere, benefits from its scientific breakthroughs.

1. The Accord for a Healthier World

In 2022, Pfizer launched the Accord for a Healthier World, a transformative program committing to provide its full portfolio of patented and off-patent medicines and vaccines at not-for-profit prices across 45 lower-income countries, reaching up to 1.2 billion people.

Initially including 23 products, the initiative now extends to Pfizer’s entire pipeline—spanning infectious diseases, cancer, rare conditions, and chronic inflammatory disorders.

The Accord also helps accelerate regulatory approvals and procurement in participating nations, significantly reducing delays that can cost thousands of lives.

2. Real-World Impact & Early Rollout

While ambitions run high, progress has been steady and measurable. By 2022, Pfizer had made 23 treatments available at cost in 45 countries, and by 2023 this included its entire portfolio.

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana, Malawi, Senegal, and Uganda have joined the Accord; Rwanda received its first shipment in September 2022, expanding availability from 8 to 20 medications.

Although bureaucratic and regulatory hurdles have slowed sign-ups—only 10 out of 45 countries had joined by late 2024—Pfizer remains actively engaged with nearly half the eligible nations.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla highlights the vision behind this approach:

“Now that they do have the medicines, we can remove that as an excuse and try to fix the realities of inequities.”

The Accord sets a new standard—prompting global collaboration to overcome deep-rooted healthcare disparities.

3. Strengthening Supply Chains & Infrastructure

Availability alone isn’t enough: medicines must reliably reach those who need them. Pfizer collaborates with partners to:

• Forecast demand and maintain buffer stocks at national and global levels
  
  

• Launch local manufacturing initiatives—like serializing vaccines and building local API production capacity (e.g., in South Africa)
  
  

• Distribute essential vaccines through Pfizer has provided over 600 million doses of pneumococcal vaccine and plans up to 930 million doses by 2027.

These steps ensure a steady supply of high-quality medicines to underserved regions.

4. Capacity Building Through Global Health Fellows

Pfizer recognizes that sustainable health equity must align with human capital. The Global Health Fellows program allows Pfizer employees to share their expertise with global health organizations, strengthening local systems.

These volunteer-led capacity-building efforts enrich both partner organizations and Pfizer’s own community—a testament to collaborative innovation.

5. Innovative Delivery: Drones and Digital Solutions

Reaching remote areas remains challenging. Pfizer is pioneering drone delivery with partners like Zipline, supported by the Gates Foundation and Gavi.

These drones are delivering vaccines and medicines in Ghana, ensuring access to communities otherwise cut off from traditional supply chains.

6. Equitable Pricing, Licensing & Partnerships

Their equity strategy includes:

• Tiered pricing: Off-patent adult vaccines like Prevnar 13 are offered at just $2.90 per dose in Gavi countries through a six-tiered pricing structure.
  
  

• Antibiotic donations: Through the Diflucan Partnership and International Trachoma Initiative, it has donated millions of doses of antifungals and antibiotics like azithromycin to underserved regions.
  
  

• Patent licensing: Through agreements with the UN’s Medicines Patent Pool, it granted access to manufacturing its COVID-19 antiviral Paxlovid in 95 countries. The Global Fund further ensures distribution in 132 low- and middle-income countries.

7. Community-Driven Health Equity in the U.S.

Health equity issues also persist in the U.S. It tackles them through:

• The Multicultural Health Equity Collective, awarding $1.75 million to community organizations fighting disparities in care access, workforce development, policy and research.
  
  

• A $2 million “Communities in Action for Health Equity” initiative supporting nonprofit-led interventions across multiple healthcare domains.

8. Unlocking Access to Cancer and Chronic Disease Care

Beyond infectious diseases, it will broaden access to oncology and chronic disease treatments through Project Taksit (a micro-payment plan), Project Afya (assistance for breast cancer and rheumatoid arthritis), and market-access deals via CHAI and the American Cancer Society.

These efforts enable patients in countries like Nigeria to access cutting-edge treatments they otherwise couldn’t afford.

9. From Local to Global: The Ripple Effect

Their approach offers multi-layered influence:

• Safeguarding supply through manufacturing, logistics, and technology.
  
  

• Empowering people—from drone pilots to trained fellows.
  
  

• Building partnerships with public, private, and academic institutions.
  
  

• Driving policy change—through supportive regulatory alignment with governments and NGOs.
  
  

• Elevating community voice—funding grassroots solutions and representation.

The result? Communities are empowered to both receive and sustain improved healthcare, long after Pfizer’s direct involvement.

10. Measuring Progress & Looking Ahead

It continues to track impact transparently:

• Over 1.2 billion people in low-income countries now have affordable access to its full drug and vaccine portfolio.
  
  

• 600 million doses of pneumococcal vaccine delivered; 930 million more planned by 2027.
  
  

• Over 95 countries licensed to produce Paxlovid antivirals, and 132 countries covered via the Global Fund.
  
  

• Substantial grant funding (millions of USD) invested in community-based U.S. healthcare equity projects.

Challenges remain—bureaucratic sluggishness and infrastructure gaps—but this brand is unwavering in its commitment to building a more equitable healthcare future.

Pfizer’s Global Health Equity Initiatives aim to dismantle traditional barriers to care through innovation, collaboration, and empathy.

By delivering high-impact interventions—from drone deliveries to micro-financing cancer treatments—the company is redefining what pharmaceutical leadership looks like in the 21st century.

This isn’t just about medications. It’s about empowering communities, bridging healthcare divides, and ensuring that quality care is not a privilege—but a right for all.