A first agreement has been concluded with five African countries.
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The American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has agreed to sell some of its drugs and vaccines at cost to low-income countries. The initiative announced on May 25 at the Davos Economic Forum concerns nearly 1.2 billion people worldwide. The first beneficiaries are in Africa.
Senegal, Rwanda, Ghana, Malawi and Uganda are the first countries to adhere to this health protocol. The agreement proposed by Pfizer provides in particular for the supply of around twenty vaccines and drugs against infectious diseases, certain cancers and rare inflammatory diseases. Signatory countries will only pay manufacturing costs and transportation expenses. This is the first initiative of its kind.
“The beauty of this agreement is that it is not a handout, but a real partnership (…) It means that we have a real chance to improve health in the world.”
Lazarus Chakwera, President of Malawi
This direct collaboration between States and the pharmaceutical firm will not be limited to the sole distribution of products. The agreement provides, among other things, for the identification of needs, the supervision of health professionals and their training, as well as the improvement of health facilities. The results obtained in the first five signatory countries will be an example for the future.
In total, 45 countries will benefit from this approach which aims, according to Pfizer, to “reducing health inequalities”. The pharmaceutical giant has in any case the means of its policy. Boosted by the sale of anti-Covid vaccines, Pfizer recorded in the first quarter of 2022, a turnover of 25.7 billion dollars including a net profit of 7.9 billion.