World Immunization Week: Partnering to Improve Vaccine Access in Ethiopia

Apr 25, 2017 11:30 AM ET

Meet Tiringo Alamirew Dersie from Ethiopia. She envisions a future in which her four children have an opportunity to live their healthiest lives possible. Key to achieving that vision is ensuring her children have access to needed vaccines.

“I will do whatever I need to do to make sure they achieve their dreams,” Tiringo says.

As we observe World Immunization Week, the Pfizer Foundation is proud to support the International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) program to help improve sustainable access to vaccines for families in Ethiopia. The IRC’s program trains individuals in the country as community-based health workers, giving them the tools and guidance needed to help administer vaccines and ensure they immunize their children on time, and a process to follow when vaccinations are missed.

Tiringo says the training she received through the program has enabled her to contribute not only to her own children’s health, but to the health and well-being of other families, as well.

“I am very proud that I can help other mothers raise their children to be healthy and educated,” Tiringo says in this video about the program.

Through its Global Health Grants and Investments portfolio, the Pfizer Foundation supports organizations and entrepreneurs around the world to build health infrastructure and break down barriers to healthcare access. Pfizer believes that entrepreneurship is key to advancing global social and economic growth, and we are leaning in to our innovative heritage by exploring catalytic ways to create lasting global health solutions for patients in need.

Visit rescue.org to learn about the IRC. Find out more about Pfizer’s commitment to global health at Pfizer.com/IndividualVoices.

The Pfizer Foundation is a charitable organization established by Pfizer Inc. It is a separate legal entity from Pfizer Inc. with distinct legal restrictions.