Pfizer recently announced that it has delivered one billion doses of its pneumococcal vaccine as part of its collaboration with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Pfizer’s collaboration with Gavi is part of the company’s broader commitment to help address health equity gaps around the world and enable accelerated access to medicines and vaccines.
Earlier this fall, the billionth dose was delivered to Ethiopia for its national vaccination program for children against pneumococcal disease. "Gavi’s success in immunizing over a billion children since 2000 is built upon its unique multistakeholder model. Vaccine manufacturers play a critical role in this partnership, helping us build healthy, affordable markets for vaccines and delivering innovative new solutions.” said Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. "We are proud of reaching this important milestone together with Pfizer and look forward to impactful collaboration in the future.”In Ethiopia, more than 40,000 children under five die each year from pneumonia2, a major cause of post-neonatal mortality. It is a leading cause of death during the postnatal period, accounting for 20% of deaths in this age group every year3. Since 2020, Pfizer has supplied more than 40 million pneumococcal vaccines to support the country’s vaccination efforts.
Beyond our global partnership with Gavi, Pfizer Canada is committed to working with partners to address health inequities and improve access to essential medicines and vaccines for vulnerable populations outside of this country. "We are proud to support global initiatives, which align with Pfizer Canada's own commitment to improving access to essential medicines for vulnerable populations," said An Van Gerven, President of Pfizer Canada.
For example, in 2024 so far, Pfizer Canada has donated over $1.5 million worth of essential medicines through its partnership with Health Partners International Canada (HPIC), an aid organization that distributes donated medicines and medical products for humanitarian missions in vulnerable communities that are challenged by accessing quality health. This support helps ensure that children and families in low-resource settings have access to the treatments they need."Our partnership with HPIC is a testament to Pfizer Canada's dedication to global health equity," said Vincent Lamoureux, Director of Global Health and Social Impact at Pfizer Canada. "In addition to our product donations, our colleagues have volunteered their time at HPIC to pack and prepare essential medicines for distribution to those in need around the world. National Child Day is a powerful reminder of the importance of this work and our commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of children everywhere."
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1WHO. 2022. Pneumonia in children. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/pneumonia#:~:text=Pneumonia%20is%20the%20single%20largest,aged%201%20to%205%20years
2Alamneh YM, Adane F. Magnitude and Predictors of Pneumonia among Under-Five Children in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Environ Public Health. 2020 May 30;2020:1606783. doi: 10.1155/2020/1606783. PMID: 32565837; PMCID: PMC7277048. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7277048/#:~:text=5.-,Conclusion,to%20prevent%20those%20risk%20factors
3Leka Lutpiatina, Lilis Sulistyorini, Ririh Yudhastuti, Hari Basuki Notobroto, Prediction of Toddlers Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) to Become Pneumonia in Martapura Catchment Area, Banjar District, Indonesia, Global Pediatric Health, 10.1177/2333794X241227694, 11, (2024). Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38405016/
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