AstraZeneca awards $3.5M for projects to improve access to healthcare for patients across the US

US ACT on Health Equity contributions support AstraZeneca’s long-term ambition in health equity and total more than $15 million to date

WILMINGTON, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AstraZeneca today pledged $3.5 million to nonprofit organizations across the US as part of Accelerate Change Together (ACT) on Health Equity, an initiative to improve access, affordability and outcomes for patients in urban, suburban and rural communities. This brings the total contributions from the program to more than $15 million to date.

Now in its fourth year, ACT on Health Equity will fund 53 nonprofit programs which aim to improve access to healthcare, address housing and nutrition as social determinants of health, advance culturally competent chronic disease care, and expand Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education and career readiness among historically excluded and disenfranchised populations.

Mohit Manrao, Senior Vice President, Head of US Oncology, AstraZeneca, said: “To move the needle on health equity and achieve lasting change requires long-term commitments and investments, and true, cross-sector partnership. Through these financial contributions, our goal is to help eliminate disparities that prevent all people from living their healthiest life and build healthier communities.”

AstraZeneca’s ACT on Health Equity: Community Solutions Challenge has awarded 45 local and regional nonprofits $30,000 each, for a total of $1,350,000. The funding is supporting tailored, community-led and culturally relevant solutions to help reduce barriers to care and address the impact of social determinants of health. This includes mitigating housing and food insecurities, increasing access to critical healthcare services and screenings, providing cancer care support and services; and creating pathways to successful careers in STEM for individuals within underserved communities.

Through ACT on Health Equity: National Strategic Collaborations, eight nonprofits have received a total of $2,150,000 to support national and regional health equity initiatives where AstraZeneca has expertise including asthma, cardiovascular disease, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), heart failure, lupus, and oncology. The programs will apply a health equity lens to identify, reduce and ultimately eliminate barriers that lead to higher incidence of preventable conditions, and increase access to innovative treatment solutions among underserved populations, including through new research, education and early detection of diseases and newer models of care such as community health advocates.

Arthur Crawford, CEO of Silver Sage and 2024 Community Solutions Challenge recipient, said: “Community-based initiatives are critical to breaking down barriers that have long contributed to disparities in health and well-being within our communities. With the help of AstraZeneca, our program will continue to play a vital role in addressing the unmet needs of underserved Hispanic seniors, providing culturally relevant resources and opportunities for social connection to combat loneliness and promote healthier lives.”

To learn more about the 2024 ACT on Health Equity recipients, visit AZ&You Blog.

About AstraZeneca ACT on Health Equity

AstraZeneca is driven by our purpose to deliver life-changing medicines to all patients, yet systemic barriers including social determinants of health prevent millions of people in the US from accessing medicines to achieve their best possible health outcomes. As part of our global sustainability commitments, in 2021 we created Accelerate Change Together (ACT) on Health Equity, a US enterprise-wide initiative informed by independent cross-sector leaders and built on our core values, to help transform the way we do business to improve access, affordability and outcomes for people in the disease areas and communities we serve, with emphasis on those from historically excluded and disenfranchised populations. The initiative includes a first-of-its-kind Health Equity Advisory Council, comprised of a distinguished group of external community leaders, academics, healthcare professionals and nonprofit executives who have diverse expertise in advancing health equity among US communities. For more information, please visit www.astrazeneca-us.com/actonhealthequity.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription medicines in Oncology, Rare Diseases and BioPharmaceuticals, including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 125 countries, and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. For more information, please visit www.astrazeneca-us.com and follow us on social media @AstraZeneca.