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Real People

5 Inspiring STEM Women Who are Making Medicine Happen

Numbers don’t lie, so the saying goes. And in the United States, statistics about women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) seem to speak less than impressive volumes of truth. Here are the facts: In 2021, only 24% of people working in the United States held jobs in a STEM field1. And while women made up 50.5% of the total U.S. population2, they accounted for only 35% of people employed in STEM jobs.1 Moreover, out of the 24% of all people who worked in STEM1, 65% of...

Living & Wellbeing

What is Sarcoidosis?: Your Questions Answered

Imagine waking up one morning and finding tender, red bumps all over your skin. Your vision is a bit blurry, so you check your eyes in the mirror. They’re red and teary. Is it allergies? Weeks go by, but you don’t get any better. One day, you feel feverish and short of breath, and you notice that your lymph nodes are swollen. Something is amiss. You make a doctor’s appointment, but the symptoms miraculously vanish. The cycle repeats for years as you bounce from doctor to doctor, taking...

Closing the Cancer Care Gap: World Cancer Day and Beyond

Every two seconds, someone in the world is diagnosed with cancer.1 It’s a disease that knows no borders, doesn’t distinguish between race or religion, and pays no mind to whether a person is rich or poor. The great equalizer, it touches every corner of the globe.And yet, the impact of this disease is anything but equal. Race, ethnicity, location, and age all have an impact on cancer outcomes, due largely to medical, societal, and systematic barriers to care.2 For instance, Black men in the U.S...

Programs & Initiatives

A Billion Doses Delivered: 3 Lessons from the Fight Against Trachoma

Credit: Brent Stirton/Getty Images for ITI Imagine an infection that causes your eyelids to turn inward, so that your lashes—intended to protect your eyes—scrape against the sensitive outer surface of your eye every time you blink. The pain is excruciating and constant. Your eyes water. Your lashes scratch and scar your cornea, the clear tissue covering your eye. Your vision becomes increasingly hazy. That’s reality for nearly two million people. According to the World Health Organization (WHO...

Living & Wellbeing

How to Dispose of Unused Medicine Responsibly to Protect the Environment

Would it surprise you to learn that taking prescription medication is part of the daily routine for an estimated 60% of adults in the United States?1 Each prescription comes with extensive instructions about how to take the medication but offers little guidance on how to dispose of unused medicine. Responsible medication disposal is important. Improper disposal of unused or expired medications has the potential to result in pharmaceuticals getting into the environment.2 In fact, pharmaceuticals...

Data Privacy Day and Our Commitment to You

Credit: Getty ImagesEvery year on January 28, the United States, Canada, Nigeria, Israel, and 47 European countries come together to raise awareness and promote privacy and data protection best practices.Health data is at the core of scientific and medical innovation, and your personal health data can play a critical role in helping you and your care team manage your health and make informed health decisions. We understand that personal information about your health can be sensitive. “We believe...

Health Equity in Action Summit 2022 Recap: Themes Emerge for Addressing Systemic Racism in Healthcare

    Among underserved communities across the U.S., the intrinsic right to good health is challenged daily. It’s no secret that barriers to healthcare have persisted for decades. Lack of access to quality care and cultural sensitivity is part of the problem. Social determinants such as lack of transportation, food deserts, and financial instability also have a negative impact. And, as the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated, existing health inequities and a flawed healthcare system can intensify...

Real People

Equitable Access to Multiple Myeloma Treatments Can Help Close the Survival Gap

Jennifer Flowers thought her pain and fatigue were a side effect of working out. Perhaps she’d pushed herself too hard or strained a muscle. But the pain persisted, so she scheduled an appointment with her doctor.  Her diagnosis—multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer—was unexpected.      “I was stunned,” Flowers says. “I’m a health-conscious professional and was exercising multiple times a week.” Her first thought, Flowers says, was “How long do I have to live?” Medical Innovations Extend...

Purpose & Ideals

Equity in Advanced Prostate Cancer Care Begins with Changing the Conversation

Prostate health is not a popular topic of conversation. Even in healthcare settings, patients and providers might be hesitant to discuss prostate health or cancer screening. But talking openly is not only the key to destigmatizing an important topic, it’s one of the first steps in addressing global health inequities that impact those diagnosed with prostate cancer.“In the past 10 years, we have seen advances in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer (aPC), but some people are still being left...

Programs & Initiatives

Operation Eradication: The Global Health Community Comes Together to Defeat Meningitis by 2030

Bacterial meningitis strikes fast. Within hours, a fever, headache, nausea, and stiff neck can lead to brain damage, hearing loss, and other permanent disabilities, and potentially even death.1,2 Meningitis stems from infection in the fluid around the brain and spinal cord, causing inflammation to the membranes surrounding them, called meninges.1,3 Bacterial meningitis is the most common form of the illness. As its name suggests, bacteria like Haemophilus influenzae (type B), Streptococcus...

Listen Now—The Antigen Season 3 Explores Maternal Immunization

The Antigen, Pfizer’s flagship podcast returns with a three-part mini-series spotlighting maternal immunization. Vaccinations for pregnant people are not new, but they have historically been left out of the vaccine narrative. As maternal immunization is advancing vaccine science and innovation, this series delves into the history, the potential benefits of boosting infant immunity, and the role of maternal antibodies in helping protect infants. We’ll also explore the challenges of maternal...

Purpose & Ideals

Patients’ Voices Shape the Drug Development Process Through a Preference Survey

Cory Lewis has sickle cell disease. Some days, the pain from the blood disorder hits him hard. Even on days without pain, he worries about his future and the health conditions that might arise. “It’s definitely 365 for me,” he says. As a program coordinator with Sick Cells, a sickle cell disease advocacy organization in Washington, D.C., Lewis regularly educates people about what it’s like to live with this disease—a rare, inherited condition, predominately (but not exclusively) impacting Black...