In 2002, Pfizer responded to the global HIV/AIDS epidemic by committing the skills and expertise of its colleagues to help address the personnel gap in health care services. Around eight months later, the Global Health Fellows (GHF) programme was launched, giving Pfizer colleagues the opportunity to take part in three-to-six-month assignments with non-profit partners.

During placements, colleagues use their health and business expertise to promote access, quality and efficiency of health services and build health care capacity for people in developing and emerging communities around the world. Assignments are often focused on addressing pressing global health challenges, such as limited access to care, lack of education and low immunisation rates.

To further evolve its skills-based volunteering offering, Pfizer introduced a shorter-term Global Health Teams Programme in 2010, giving cross-functional teams of colleagues the opportunity to offer their technical and professional expertise to help address operational or strategic issues an organisation may be facing.

Since 2003, over 850 Pfizer employees from offices around the world have participated in the programmes. Colleagues have visited around 51 countries and completed an estimated ~ 420,000 hours of skills-based volunteering, working with more than 110 partner organisations on projects aimed at strengthening health systems.

By embedding our skilled colleagues in these high-need areas, we are directly impacting patients and gathering invaluable insights to drive future innovation and progress within Pfizer.

As a 2017 Fellow, Senior Brand Manager Kate Shackleton spent 4 months in Vietnam working with Save the Children to develop a strategy for its Health and Nutrition programme.