As part of its Accelerate Change Together (ACT) program on Health Equity: Community Solutions Challenge and National Strategic Collaborations, the global biopharmaceutical company recently announced that this year's contributions will go to support community, regional, and national programs without profit that works to promote health equity and improve access to STEM (Science, Technology, Education and Mathematics) careers among historically excluded and disenfranchised populations in the U.S.

Christie Bloomquist, vice president of the U.S. Corporate and Government Affairs, and president of the AstraZeneca Foundation, stated:

At AstraZeneca we believe that it will take the entire healthcare system working together to advance health equity among under-resourced communities.

Beneficiaries

After receiving more than 1,000 applications, 38 non-profit community organizations were selected to receive resources of $25,000 each.

Funding will support innovative solutions that seek to break down barriers to care and social determinants of health, including social, emotional, and academic support, health worker training, and disease education, as well as initiatives that combat transportation barriers, food insecurity, and training in leadership skills and STEM careers.

For their part, 14 national nonprofit organizations were awarded a total of $3 million to support national and regional health equity programming within communities and therapeutic areas where AstraZeneca has a presence and expertise, including asthma, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, heart failure, lupus, and cancer.

We’ve been included in @TIME’s 2022 Best Inventions list! Their selection reflects the impact long-acting monoclonal antibody therapy has had on the #immunocompromised community as a beacon of hope in the return to normalcy. https://t.co/IyFZPqBD4l #TimeBestInventions pic.twitter.com/Zpzvh55M3W

— AstraZenecaUS (@AstraZenecaUS) November 10, 2022

All 2022 funding recipients were chosen based on several criteria, including their ability to create measurable and sustainable change toward health equity.

“Building on our efforts in 2021, this $4 million in new annual contributions is part of our long-term commitment to prioritize access, affordability and outcomes through all our strategic nonprofit collaborations. Our goal is to serve as a trusted community partner and ultimately help create lasting change where patients live, work, receive care and more,” added Bloomquist.

New focus

In addition to recent contributions, the AstraZeneca Foundation is evolving its strategic focus in 2023 and working on developing a unique new grantmaking program that will support AstraZeneca's long-term ambition in health equity.

Information on funding opportunities through the new program will be available on the AstraZeneca Foundation website in early 2023.

“The elimination of persistent health inequities is a pressing public health imperative. Community-based organizations often have innovative solutions but lack the resources to implement them. AZ’s leadership in this area is a model for how the private sector can expand its impact on the communities that they serve,” said Dr. Thomas LaVeist, PhD, Dean of Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and AstraZeneca HEAC member. 

For more information on the 2022 recipients, click here.