Collaborative Efforts in Rwanda and Malawi Propels Accord for a Healthier World Progress
Accord for a Healthier World is making steady progress across several eligible countries. In Rwanda and Malawi, particularly the collaborative effort between Pfizer’s Accord team, the government and other partners to improve healthcare access and enable supply of medicines and vaccines has been very promising.
In Rwanda, access to Pfizer products on a not-for-profit basis through the Accord has grown since the launch of the initiative in 2022. With many innovative and essential medicines now available in national referral hospitals, the team is looking to optimize existing collaborations to bring the benefits of the Accord to Level 2 teaching hospitals in the provinces to expand the reach of these treatments. To facilitate this, Pfizer recently partnered with the Ministry of Health, Rwanda Medical Supply, and Rwanda Biomedical Centre to convene a workshop in Kigali, engaging all implementing hospitals and 13 new facilities to help address bottlenecks that may be delaying patient access. Key topics included workforce training, health economics research, care pathway optimization, and potential models for delivering specialized care closer to patients' communities.
Similar progress has been made in Malawi, where the Accord, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Central Medical Stores Trust (CMST), focused on implementing best practices in supply chain management, including demand forecasting, inventory control and warehousing. A recent joint workshop in Salima brought together the Ministry of Health, supply chain partners and hospital representatives to optimize collaboration and identify care gaps.
In Malawi, workforce training has also emerged as a priority, with the Accord team presenting learning opportunities.
"Workshops like these are helping us to make steady progress in Rwanda and Malawi to implement the Accord, increase access to needed medicines and vaccines and, ultimately, improve health outcomes for patients," said Dr. Allan Mackenzie, Pfizer’s Accord and Access Engagement Director for East & Southern Africa. "There is still much work to be done, but we are inspired by the dedication of all of the collaborators and the growing impact of these efforts. Together, we are helping to close the health equity gap."
Dr. Allan Mackenzie, Pfizer’s Accord and Access Engagement Director for East & Southern Africa, at the workshop in Malawi.