Illustration,/PHOTO; Courtesy
The Pfizer Foundation has announced a new three-year, $10 million investment to expand access to timely breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and care in low-resource settings, with a focus on Kenya and Ethiopia.
The funding is being delivered through the Foundation’s Action & Impact: A Cancer Care Initiative, which aims to address persistent inequities in cancer care across sub-Saharan Africa.
In Kenya, the investment will support the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), while in Ethiopia, it will fund work led by Innovations in Healthcare in partnership with the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI).
Working closely with national ministries of health, the partners will focus on promoting earlier diagnosis, strengthening referral systems, and addressing structural and social barriers that delay or prevent women from accessing lifesaving treatment.
With this latest commitment, The Pfizer Foundation’s total investment in addressing breast cancer inequities now stands at $25 million across five countries, building on earlier efforts in Rwanda, Ghana, and Tanzania.
“Since the launch of the Action & Impact initiative, we’ve seen meaningful progress across Rwanda, Ghana, and Tanzania, empowering communities to lead the charge and helping women gain access to breast cancer care that once felt out of reach,” said Darren Back, President of The Pfizer Foundation.
“As our trusted partners collaborate closely with governments to strengthen health systems, engage communities, and decentralize diagnosis and care, we’re helping build a successful model to help ensure more women can receive the care they need when and where they need it,” he added.
Breast cancer remains the most common cancer in sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for one in three new cancer cases in Ethiopia and more than 16 per cent of all diagnosed cancers in Kenya.
While five-year survival rates exceed 90 per cent in many high-income countries, the average survival rate in sub-Saharan Africa is estimated at just 40 per cent, largely due to late diagnosis and limited access to treatment.
In Ethiopia, the initiative will prioritize community education, stigma reduction, and improvements in diagnostic and treatment pathways.
Dr. Krishna Udayakumar, Executive Director of Innovations in Healthcare, said the support comes at a critical time for the country’s cancer response.
“In Ethiopia, as in many other countries, breast cancer remains a significant public health challenge as many women are diagnosed in advanced stages and have limited access to treatment,” he said.
“With The Pfizer Foundation’s support, we aim to partner with communities and health leaders to expand education, reduce stigma, and strengthen seamless and timely diagnosis and treatment, so that lifesaving care becomes the standard for every woman.”
In Kenya, AMPATH will build on a decade of expanding oncology services within the public health system. Dr. Philip K. Kirwa, Chief Executive Officer of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, an AMPATH Kenya partner, highlighted the programme’s growth and potential impact.
“In the last decade, AMPATH partners have significantly grown our oncology program in Kenya from serving just 150 patients a year to more than 200 patients each day,” Kirwa said.
“With this new grant funding, we will build on this success to not only help improve breast cancer outcomes for women in Kenya but also generate insights to inform national policy and catalyze sustainable improvements in cancer care across the region.”
The Action & Impact initiative aligns with Pfizer’s broader purpose of delivering breakthroughs that change patients’ lives, while reinforcing The Pfizer Foundation’s mission to support community-led solutions to complex global health challenges.
It also complements Pfizer’s Accord for a Healthier World, which seeks to expand access to quality medicines and vaccines on a not-for-profit basis across 45 lower-income countries.
Through partnerships that strengthen health systems and center community leadership, the Foundation aims to help close the breast cancer survival gap and ensure that more women in Africa can access timely, quality care.
About The Pfizer Foundation
The mission of The Pfizer Foundation is to help build healthier communities around the world.
It invests in community-led partnerships and solutions to address today’s complex global health challenges, respond to urgent health needs, and empower Pfizer colleagues to make an impact where they live, work, and beyond.
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