Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Sunday Times (Johannesburg) - July 20, 2003
However, healthcare resources and infrastructure are rarely adequate to address the needs of communities facing the challenges of these diseases.
Pfizer has announced a major initiative to combat this lack of capacity. In partnership with several leading non-governmental organisations (NGOs) -- Doctors of the World, Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric AIDS Foundation, American Jewish World Service and Health Volunteers Overseas - Pfizer launched the Global Health Fellows programme in June.
Communications manager Tanya-Lisa Elston says: "Participation by staff is key in our various social responsibility programmes."
She explains that as part of this initiative Pfizer physicians, nurses, epidemiologists, laboratory technicians, health educators and information technology specialists - from the US, South Africa, Europe, Latin America and Australia - will be loaned to NGOs to fight HIV/Aids and other diseases in developing countries.
"Pfizer's Global Health Fellows initiative will improve the capacity of community-based organisations to implement vital development work, while complementing and amplifying the impact of Pfizer's existing grant and product-access programmes," says Elston.
First announced at the International Aids Conference in Barcelona last year, the Global Health Fellows programme will see up to 20 Pfizer specialists available each year to support the work of the NGOs.
At the launch, Pfizer chairman and chief executive Hank McKinnell said: "Pfizer's commitment to increasing access to health and healthcare starts with our industry's commitment to research and extends through some of the most innovative donation programmes ever launched. We are now taking our commitment to a new level by sharing our skills and knowledge."
Says Kate Carr, president and chief executive of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation in Washington DC: "The programme is a cutting-edge health initiative that demonstrates a long-term commitment to fighting HIV/Aids .
"This kind of meaningful assistance is a model for other corporations and will help us turn the corner in the fight against the global pandemic. We applaud Pfizer for their leadership."
Whether in Kenya, Honduras, Uganda or Vietnam, the programme will play a vital role in reducing mother-to-child HIV transmission, improving workplace HIV/Aids awareness, and providing prevention education for high-risk youth.
Pfizer has committed to fund the transportation, lodging and other expenses for each Fellow, while maintaining their employment and positions with the company.
The Global Health Fellows programme is Pfizer's latest initiative in its HIV/Aids partnership efforts. In the US, Pfizer donates its most advanced antiretroviral and anti-infective medicines to low-income people living with HIV/Aids.
Pfizer's philanthropic efforts incurred a cost of $598-million in 2002 - around $ 1.5-million a day. The company was ranked as the world's most generous company, for the second year in a row, by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, a journal on corporate philanthropy.
Tanya-Lisa Elston says Dr Annah Amos, medical information physician for Pfizer SA, has been awarded a fellowship to Vietnam and is the first ever Pfizer Global Health Fellow from South Africa.
030720
ST030704
Copyright © 2003 - The Sunday Times. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Sunday Times Permissions Desk.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Elton John AIDS Foundation UK, the National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2003. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2003. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .