Watch: Partnering to close the health equity gap

Access to safe, effective, and quality medicines is fundamental to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3 of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all. But there is still a long way to go. While there is not yet enough data available on how COVID-19 affected the progress toward universal health coverage, the disruptions in health services caused by the pandemic have likely halted the progress made over the past few decades.

In 2022, Pfizer launched An Accord for a Healthier World, through which the company committed to offer a portfolio of 23 patented medicines and vaccines on a not-for-profit basis to 1.2 billion people in 45 lower-income countries. At the World Economic Forum annual meeting this year, based on early feedback from accord-eligible countries, Pfizer announced that it would expand this commitment to include the entire portfolio of patented and off-patent medicines and vaccines for which Pfizer holds global rights.

Although generic companies can make off-patent medicines, many don't have the supply reliability nor the quality needed, said Angela Hwang, chief commercial officer and president of Pfizer’s global biopharmaceuticals business. She added that access also largely depends on infrastructure and operations, so connecting the dots from delivery all the way to administering the product is a key element of the accord.

Speaking to Devex on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, Hwang elaborated on Pfizer’s work to progress health equity and the importance of partnerships in the process.