Refusing to Turn a Blind Eye to Trachoma

Why should public companies engage in philanthropy? I’ve been asked this question many times, both by those who say that it’s a waste of resources and those who say that philanthropy is a core component of a strong corporate responsibility strategy.

Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate the role philanthropy can play in helping make our world a better place in which to live and do business. The world’s most complex problems are beyond any one organization’s ability to solve. As a citizen of the world, we have a responsibility to work with others to shape solutions to these challenges. Giving and collaborating are also important ways to build trust and good will, and to help people see more fully who we are as a company.

Our philanthropic work makes the best use of Pfizer’s resources – our people, products and funding – to help build healthcare capacity, expand access to medicines and offer community support. These efforts would not be possible without our many partnerships with nonprofit organizations, governments and foundations. The importance of corporate philanthropy and the benefits of our approach are especially clear in a Pfizer program of which I’m especially proud.

A young girl in pain

In a remote village in Ethiopia, a young girl named Alemnesh was in pain. Her deteriorating vision meant she could no longer attend school or help at home. Permanent blindness loomed.

Alemnesh is one of 2.2 million people around the world whose vision has been impaired by trachoma, the leading infectious cause of blindness. More than 1 million of these sufferers are irreversibly blind. Trachoma is a significant global public health problem, threatening 232 million people in 51 countries, with the majority of the disease’s burden concentrated in 14 countries in Africa and Asia.

Trachoma is a disease of impoverishment, and is often associated with poor access to safe water and sanitation facilities. Trachoma is a disease of physical suffering, with repeated infections causing severe pain and often permanent blindness.

Beyond its physical impact, trachoma can destroy the economic well-being of entire communities, trapping families in a cycle of poverty. Blindness from trachoma often strikes adults in their prime years, making it difficult for them to care for themselves and their families. Mothers, as primary caregivers, are more frequently exposed, with trachoma affecting women three times more often than men. Globally, trachoma is responsible for an estimated US$3 to 6 billion in lost productivity annually.

However, trachoma is preventable and treatable; and in 1998, the World Health Organization (WHO) set a goal to eliminate trachoma as a public health threat by 2020. That same year, Pfizer and the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation established the International Trachoma Initiative (ITI) as an independent not-for-profit organization dedicated to the elimination of trachoma, joining dozens of governmental and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) also focused on this goal. Pfizer’s primary contribution to the effort is the donation of one of our antibiotics through the ITI. 

Treating 100 million people

This week, we are celebrating the donation of the 500 millionth dose of that antibiotic as part of a larger partnership that includes more than 100 organizations. Pfizer is pleased to work side-by-side with organizations such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.K. Department for International Development/UKAID, The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, the Lions Clubs International and the Carter Center. Our donation is central to the SAFE strategy, endorsed by the WHO to reduce the prevalence of trachoma. SAFE is a comprehensive public health approach that combines Surgery, to treat the blinding stage of the disease; Antibiotics, to treat infection; Facial cleanliness, to help reduce transmission; and Environmental improvement, particularly improving access to water and sanitation. Through this approach, our antibiotic has been used to treat more than 100 million people in 33 countries.

Pfizer’s donation is also central to who we are as a company. We are committed to improving the health of people around the globe and working collaboratively with our partners to find sustainable solutions to the world’s health challenges. ITI is one of many philanthropic programs that we fund globally. In addition, we offer such U.S.-specific initiatives as the Pfizer RxPathways patient assistance program. Through this program, we have helped some 2.5 million uninsured and underinsured patients get access to more than 30 million Pfizer prescriptions in the last five years alone. Earlier this month, we expanded the program by doubling the allowable income level so that even more patients in need can receive their Pfizer medicines for free.

Making progress in the fight against trachoma

In 2012, Oman became the first country validated by the WHO as having eliminated trachoma. Seven other countries have reported reaching elimination goals and are awaiting the WHO’s validation process.

Much work remains, including the treatment of more than 200 million more people suffering from or at risk of trachoma, but our goal is in sight. We can see it in the continued commitment and efforts of our outstanding partners in this work. And we can see it in the face of 11-year-old Alemnesh, one of the tens of millions already treated. Her pain has been relieved and she is eager to return to school.

While I’m pleased that Pfizer has made this landmark donation of medicine and will continue these donations, I am equally gratified that we are one of many working toward our goal.  Together, we are highlighting the power of collaboration among public and private organizations. Through this work we will not only eliminate blinding trachoma but we will also sharpen our collective collaborative abilities and improve our chances of solving still more of the world’s most complex challenges.