Leading at the Forefront ELI S1 Policy Newsletter |
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As a main player in the health care ecosystem, it is our role to advocate for patient-oriented policies and to lead the conversation to drive pro-innovation and pro-patient policies that can improve lives, in line with both our purpose Breakthroughs that change patients' lives and our Bold move 5.2.
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Memoranda of Understanding |
Four new MoUs were signed between late 2021 and June 2022, in line with our continued, and long-standing commitment towards patients, guided by our GTM Bold moves, and aligned with local health authorities’ mission to re-imagine the new healthcare system, while further strengthening our position as the most Patient Centric Company and fulfilling our core purpose of “Breakthroughs that Change Patients’ Lives”.
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The MoU signed between Pfizer Egypt and the General Authority for Healthcare towards the end of 2021 supports the launch of the Decision Support Unit, which kicked off a one-of-its-kind strategic partnership that accomplishes a key milestone in digital healthcare transformation in Egypt. The goal is to enhance the patient journey/experience, and support data generation and deployment to promote scientific, evidence-based decision-making, which is in full alignment with our GTM BM3.3 and BM 5.1 Doing this could not have been possible without the dedication, deep commitment & agility of our cross functional team, behind making this MoU and conference come to life successfully in a short period. |
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Pfizer Egypt proudly joined forces with the General Authority of Healthcare again in May 2022, to kick off the first National antimicrobial resistance (AMR) Forum and to launch Pfizer AMR MoU that is designed to tackle the dangers of antimicrobial resistance. The strategic partnership aims to support accomplishing a key national milestone in “AMR” trajectory slowdown and AMS implementation, hence paving the way for improving the patient journey by enhancing the efficiency, capacity and capability building of the medical service providers, while supporting national awareness against infectious diseases, and the rational use of antimicrobials.
Thank you to the XF team's sincere and collaborative efforts led by Salma Farid, Tarek Barakat, Tamer Mahmoud, Mohamed Abdelaziz and Ayat Mubarak, for accomplishing this important strategic partnership milestone.
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Driven by our mission to shift healthcare from sick care to well-care, Pfizer Egypt was proud to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Egyptian Ministry of Health on June 19th, 2022. The signed MoU integrates medical, economic, and societal dimensions and will bring breakthrough solutions, through the potential transfer of technological know-how and capacities, to help protect 2,5 million babies in Egypt every year against serious and possibly deadly pneumococcal infections. We are already working on subsequent agreements for the relevant solutions outlined under the MoU to be concluded as soon as possible to accelerate implementation. A big thank you to the great in and above country teams that worked diligently to conclude this strategic Partnership (local Team: Yousri Nawar - Ahmed Bahey – Rehab Zakaria – Alia Shoaibe – Yomna Kotb & Essam El naggar, Regional Team: Patrick Van der loo, Leena Aziz – Haytham ElNoar -Hammam Haridy - Global Team: Joe Kelly – Graciela del Carmen, Julie Hamra – Dilek Kiran and Serife Ebru Dogruol)
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In June 2022, Pfizer was proud to sign a first-of-its-kind, non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Iraqi Health authorities. The signed MoU seeks to support the Iraqi government in its efforts to ensure its people have access to top quality healthcare services. This goal is a cornerstone of the government’s 2030 Vision. Through the signed MoU, Pfizer would be partnering in the areas of capacity-building, skill development, research, digitization, as well as awareness efforts for greater disease prevention and earlier diagnosis. Thank you to the team behind consolidating and concluding our first of kind strategic partnership with Iraq: Abdullah Al Ibada, Alia Shoaibe, Mohamed El Marawy, Ali AlJabban, Alia Abdalla, Ahmed Abouzeid, Said Naim, Marwan Nasry, Mohamed Mashour, Zaid Khatab, Zaid AlBaqir, Marwah Al Ghadhban |
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Her Excellency, the US Ambassador to Lebanon, Dorothy C. Shea, visited our Pfizer office in Lebanon on December 16th, 2021. Our team had the privilege of sharing highlights of ongoing local initiatives and partnerships designed to support the Lebanese government and healthcare system in its efforts to combat the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, as well as its attempts to find scientific solutions for current healthcare challenges faced by the country as it navigates multiple crises. Ambassador Shea thanked Pfizer for its efforts to vaccinate the people of Lebanon as more than 80% of COVID-19 vaccines administered in Lebanon are Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines. |
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Africa Health ExCon, the first regional platform of its kind, held under the auspices of H.E President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on 5-7 June, was a resounding success and a continuation of the journey Pfizer Egypt started, backed by decades of uninterrupted efforts to collaborate with local healthcare authorities to benefit the community. These efforts to improve patient lives were crowned by a historic moment as Pfizer Egypt CM - Dr. Youssri Nawar - welcomed H.E President El-Sisi to our on-site booth on the very first day. Pfizer was the only multinational pharmaceutical company to present directly to the top political leadership, representing a true testament to Pfizer Egypt position as the Egyptian government’s Partner of Choice. The Pfizer Egypt team also effectively powered the event’s policy component by organizing strategic high-level talks designed to shape healthcare policies for a brighter future, by bringing on board global and regional institutions capable of creating viable impact such as the World Bank (WB), Afreximbank and the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
Thank you to our great cross functional team and special thanks to our core team (Tarek Barakat, Nouran Elsebai, Adham Ibrahim) who worked with an unwavering and synchronized passion for months to plan our on-target presence.
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Pfizer was proud to join forces with the Iraqi Ministry of Health, facilitating access to expertise and best practice guidance, based on Pfizer experiences in reference countries such as Egypt and the UAE, in addition to the organization of two workshops in March and May 2022 to help share its knowledge base with local HCPs. Pfizer also helped launch a health insurance project and partnered with local authorities with the goal of supporting Iraq's vision as the Iraqi government seeks to enhance its healthcare system to provide more effective and comprehensive benefits to its citizens.
Thank you to the XF team sincere and collaborative efforts for accomplishing this important strategic partnership milestone: Abdullah Al Ibada, Dunya AlHayali, Yahya Al-Janabi - Hatem Safwat -Tamer Mahoud – Sami Mohamed - Mays Mahdi – Mohamed Mashour and Zaid Khattab |
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In Dec. 2021, Pfizer proudly took part in the “Egypt Medical Forum” and joined a panel discussion on “Ethics and Compliance in the Pharmaceutical Industry” featuring top officials, former ministers, and key players in the healthcare sector. The session brought to focus diverse efforts to foster a compliance-driven culture and gain patients’ and customers’ trust, as well as the role of the Egyptian Society of Pharmaceutical Research (ESPR) in collaborating with authorities to build capabilities, raise awareness and shape policy. Participants also emphasized the need for a local code regulating promotional practices. |
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As part of Pfizer’s efforts to underscore its ongoing commitmentthe country, Rawad Gebrael, Iraq and Levant CM paid a visit to Iraq in March 2022. The goal was to showcase the company’s desire to expand its strategic partnerships with the Iraqi MoH, support Iraqi patients, and establish itself as the partner of choice in the eyes of the people. The focus of the visit was a discussion of mutual priorities, particularly those pertaining to universal health insurance and Pfizer’s sharing of its Egyptian experiences in this context. The CM also sought to explore the potential for a multi-year contract for innovative portfolios, the possibility of managed entry agreements, and efforts to enhance COVID vaccination rates. |
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In line with Pfizer’s commitment to patient safety as the priority, Pfizer was proud to partner with the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) in its latest initiative “معآ نحو دواء امن” earlier this year, “Together for Safe Medicine”, contributing to the development of pharmaceutical care in Egypt. Consistent with our belief that pharmacists play a vital role in the healthcare system, this partnership is set to provide a diverse range of training sessions for pharmacists across Egypt over the span of four months, helping ensure the provision of safe medication to Egyptian patients. |
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In Feb. 2022, Pfizer Egypt joined forces with the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) to support equitable access to high-quality medications for all patients. As part of our efforts to enhance partnership with the EDA, Pfizer Egypt sponsored the Reference Material Certification event, organized for this very purpose. Building on the success journey, Pfizer Egypt was chosen as the main event sponsor and had the opportunity to showcase its efforts in delivering the best quality for Egyptian patients over the course of 60 years. |
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Pfizer was privileged to drive the rare diseases discussions during the HOPE 2022 conference that took place in February 2022 in Cairo. The Pfizer team created and led high-level panel discussions around rare diseases, focusing on the collaboration needed to support the RD Patients throughout their journey. Panelists included delegates from the key strategic healthcare entities in Egypt such as the Egyptian Drug Authority, the Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement (UPA), and the Universal Health Insurance Authority. Topics spanned challenges to cover the RD medications, how research in this field can enhance the assessment of RD medications in the absence of large pool of patients and/or patients registries and how the UPA improve the availability and affordability of RD medications. Panelists supported Pfizer’s recommendations to develop a National Committee for the Rare Disease patients in Egypt to secure dedicated tracks, promote public and private sector cooperation to improve patient journeys and boost access to innovative medication. The journey encompasses the establishment of dedicated tracks for regulatory and pricing processes as well as diagnosis, early access and care provision |
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With the support of Pfizer, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health launched a national COVID-19 vaccination awareness campaign, under the slogan of "لا ينفع الندم" (regret is futile). The campaign was designed to raise awareness regarding COVID-19 vaccines, guiding the population towards an informed decision, and encouraging them to register on the designated platform. The campaign made use of a range of activities that targeted the public through mass media, social media, TV/radio spot, live interviews, and an outdoor campaign, in addition to an outreach campaign that focused on the hard-to-reach populations in remote areas of Lebanon. A branded awareness bus visited 24 localities in North of Lebanon and Bekaa, with a primary healthcare team and community volunteers accompanying it to provide information and register those who wished to be vaccinated, referring them to the nearest vaccination center. According to the ministry’s data, our intervention led to a 27% increase in vaccination rates. |
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Pfizer Jordan has worked closely with the Jordanian government to secure the Paxlovid oral treatment for local patients suffering from COVID-19, as part of Pfizer’s ongoing efforts to improve the lives of patients. The Drug Supply Agreement was signed onApril 21st and Paxlovid was in Jordanian patients’ hands within five days. Due to this light-speed execution and the effective collaboration between all functions, patients with COVID-19 received access to this treatment to fight against a common enemy. Its availability offers HCPs, patients, and the Jordanian government a new tool to help stop the spread and impact of COVID-19 on individuals, society, and the economy. We would like to express our profound thanks to all cross-functional colleagues (regulatory, supply, legal, digital, medical, marketing, regional team, launch navigators and policy) and the rest of our Pfizer heroes who made this dream a reality. |
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To mark World Haemophilia Day this year on April 17th, Pfizer Egypt was proud to participate in the "Light it Up Red" campaign, organized by the World Haemophilia Federation. Pfizer was privileged to join forces with the Egyptian Ministry of Health to raise awareness of haemophilia to support this year’s theme of "ACCESS for ALL: Partnership, Policy, Progress” to help change more patients’ lives! |
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With the support of Pfizer, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health - in collaboration with the Lebanese Society of Family Medicine (LSFM) - launched a National Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness campaign earlier this year with the goal of increasing awareness regarding this challenge and encouraging best practices among the public. The hope is to limit the use of antibiotics where they are not necessary to prevent the further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections. Throughout the campaign, numerous activities were organized, including the airing of a TV/radio spot. A round table discussion with experts was held as well as a sensitization session for healthcare workers and other awareness sessions targeting beneficiaries to ensure that the message was delivered at all levels and that all stakeholders were addressed appropriately. |
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Pfizer joined forces with the Jordanian MOH to celebrate World Immunization Week at the end of April. This campaign sought to encourage individuals of all ages and across all regions of the Hashemite Kingdom to immunize themselves against vaccine-preventable diseases. On the 28th of April, 7,000 awareness flyers containing information about the importance of vaccinations were distributed together with 1,000 balloons for children, as the initiative coincided with Eid El Fitr celebrations. Of particular focus was raising awareness about meningitis vaccinations during the Hajj and Umrah seasons. |
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With the support of Pfizer, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health has launched a National Routine Immunization Campaign under the slogan "بعمره ما بينفع الندم" (regret is futile). The campaign aimed at increasing awareness around the importance of routine immunization in all ages with special focus on PCV vaccine for elderly. It entailed a series of media activities (radio and TV spots, TV and radio interviews, social media campaign) as well as on-ground activities targeting elderly centers through an edutainment music activity and vaccination activity. |
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Industry Associations News |
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The Lebanon Pharma Group (LPG) had the honour of meeting with HE Prime Minister and HE Minister of Public Health in April 2022. Discussions focused on the importance of maintaining the availability of medicines for Lebanese patients and the sector’s prospects amidst the severe economic and financial crises the country was facing. Their Excellencies reiterated the Lebanese government’s commitment to protecting the nation’s position as a hub for healthcare excellence and innovation in the Middle East and acknowledged the LPG’s efforts in providing early and sustainable access to vital, safe, and effective medicines for Lebanese patients. They expressed their recognition for partnership with LPG which continues to strive towards the establishment of a more sustainable and efficient healthcare system, to make a long-term difference in the lives of patients in Lebanon.
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We are proud to say that the Egyptian Headroom for Innovation committee, the first official joint platform for key Egyptian authorities and industry stakeholders focused on innovation, was launched on June 29th with the help of Pfizer efforts. Pfizer, as the lead for the “Headroom for Innovation” working group at the Egyptian Society of Pharmaceutical Research (ESPR), helped roll out the latest London School of Economics project of the same title in Egypt through bilateral meetings between LSE Professor Panos Kanavos and key healthcare authorities. The new committee includes key stakeholders responsible for advancing innovation in the country, such as the Egyptian Drug Authority, the Unified Procurement Authority as well as National Health Insurance and Universal Health insurance authorities. This newly launched committee is a clear demonstration of the real partnership that Pfizer helped the ESPR establish and will now be able to enhance further with its permanent industry seat in the committee which will be responsible for the creation of the Egyptian Headroom for Innovation Roadmap to drive policy recommendations and enhance Egyptian patient access to innovation.
EDA post featuring our visit
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Pfizer Egypt led the American Chamber of Commerce’s efforts to launch a series of policy shaping webinars with key governmental entities. The webinar series was launched by HE the Minister of Health during the high-profile annual general assembly Ramadan Iftar in April 2022. The Minister of Health gave a speech and shared a presentation under the title of “Bolstering Investments in Egypt’s Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Sector”. He emphasized the important role of Private Public Partnership. The speech was the perfect kick-off, paving the way for the upcoming webinars.
Pfizer Egypt led a partnership initiation between the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt and the Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement (UPA), with an agreed MoU that was signed between both parties on May 30th, 2022, which seeks to promote the development of Egypt’s healthcare system and support Africa Health ExCon.
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Dr. Yousri Nawar recognized among most influential healthcare sector figures
Pfizer Country Manager for Egypt and Sudan, Dr. Yousri Nawar, was recognized as one of the 50 most influential figures in the Egyptian healthcare sector and received this honor during the Egypt Medical Forum which took place in December 2021. The entire Pfizer Egypt team offers its sincere congratulations to Dr. Yousri on this notable and well-deserved recognition.
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In May 2022, Pfizer Egypt also received the BT100 award in recognition of its ongoing efforts to improve the national healthcare system by partnering with local healthcare authorities and stakeholders to improve patients’ disease outcomes and help them enjoy a better quality of life. Egypt’s leading economic magazine Business Today organizes the annual award ceremony “BT100” to honor the most influential figures and companies that are driving the Egyptian economy. |
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Amwal Elghad recognition
In March 2022, Pfizer was recognized with the Amwal Elghad Award for its efforts in promoting patient-centric policies and working hand-in-hand with local authorities to optimize access to advanced treatments and top-quality healthcare services. We were proud to receive the award from HE the Minister of Trade and Industry in person.
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We would like to invite you all to join our newly minted competition focused on patient-centric policies, innovative solutions, and cross-functional collaboration. We all work hard on our long-standing commitment to improve patients’ lives and on the existing framework that can improve their disease and treatment outcomes, but we do it in different ways. We want to recognize your efforts and further motivate you to broaden your horizons and strive to achieve even more and hence everyone is eligible.
We therefore ask you to submit a two-page brief – overview and impact - on your project that falls under one of the three following criteria to ELIPolicyPower@pfizer.com by the 15th of October 2022. Winners will receive company-wide recognition, with their projects showcased at the end of year ELI townhall and next newsletter. |
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1. Dare to Try – This award category focuses on novel approaches and innovative solutions for ongoing challenges. Please share your project to overcome existing limitations, along with the impact of your approach
2. Policy for Patients – This award category addresses current or projected efforts to shape policies to benefit patients. Please share how your idea will optimize patients’ access to innovation and/or outcomes for a large swath of patients along with the concrete impact on patients.
3. Power of One – This award category is designed to celebrate collaboration. Please share how are you utilizing cross-functional cooperation and one Pfizer approach to shape external environment – please share teams and individuals involved in your project |
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