not used title
not used title
This month, PhRMA published our commitment to racial equity and inclusion in the New York Times as well as in the Informer and the AfroAmerican, DC-based, Black-owned newspapers. This public declaration is an important milestone for our industry as we continue to take concrete steps to address systemic racism and work towards a more equitable future.
My excitement at this progress has been tempered by a somber reflection on recent events. As a Black woman, I worry about the unequal impact that COVID-19 has on Black and Brown communities. In fact, the data show that in the U.S., Black people account for 13% of the population, but make up 22% of COVID-19 deaths where race is known. And Blacks, Latinos, American Indians and Asian Americans also represent a disproportionate number of cases due to co-morbidities, such as hypertension and diabetes, prevalent in many communities of color. On a personal level, I am concerned about how to protect my son who has a pre-existing condition and my dad who is a heart transplant survivor and lives in my home state of Florida, where coronavirus infection and death rates are staggering. I also worry about my best friend, a pharmacist in Washington state, who in the early days of the virus was (and still is) putting in 12-hour shifts to ensure Native communities have access to the medicines they need. The anxiety continues to be real amongst my Black and Brown colleagues as many of us know people who have either contracted COVID-19 or have died from it. While I continue to worry about my family and friends’ well-being, it gives me hope to know that America’s biopharmaceutical companies are committed to developing quality, efficacious solutions to help diagnose and treat those with COVID-19.
While grappling with the toll of COVID-19 on our communities, we also faced the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Rayshard Brooks, which felt like further insult to injury. The reality of health inequity for Black and Brown communities compounded with these senseless deaths, and those before them who had met a similar demise, was enough to push me and my Black and Brown friends and family over the edge. It is a heavy emotional weight in realizing the inability to protect ourselves and our communities from an unseen virus while simultaneously still having to fight for basic human rights as Black Americans—the constitutional right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, the same as every American.
I feel privileged to be leading a team of brilliant, earnest people at PhRMA that is serious about its commitment to racial equity and inclusion. I am hopeful that together, we can help PhRMA reflect upon and identify additional ways in which it could improve its corporate citizenship in a significant and transparent way. We are working across our industry to convey both the urgency of acting now and the moral imperative to be truly more culturally diverse and inclusive. We need to ensure that the work we carry forward in this space demonstrates a cultural shift in how our industry shows up to the Black and Brown communities we serve, to the Black and Brown employees who give their talent to power the industry, and to the future generations of Black and Brown children who deserve better.
Systemic racism is as real as any disease, and our industry is not immune. We are taking the necessary steps to make meaningful change for Black and Brown communities of today and tomorrow. The print advertisement is just the start.
Learn more and follow our progress at PhRMA.org/Equity.
Courtney Christian
Courtney Christian is a Deputy Vice President of Policy and Research at PhRMA focusing on state-based reforms impacting health insurance, prescription drug coverage in public health programs and on health equity. Prior to joining PhRMA, she worked at the Black Women’s Health Imperative as Director of Policy and Advocacy, and on Capitol Hill for a number of years in a series of roles, including as Legislative Director. Courtney is a Florida State football fan (and alum), aspiring chef, and mom to an energetic preschooler.
Courtney Christian
Recent events highlight progress on health equity
October 22, 2024
ICYMI: PhRMA’s 4th Annual Pathways to Success: Virtual STEM Career Expo
October 21, 2024
Hispanic Heritage Month: Fighting for Hispanic patients
October 7, 2024
PhRMA awards grants to 2024 Annual Pathways to Success: Virtual STEM Career Expo Partners
September 20, 2024
How government price setting fails to address systemic health care inequities
May 24, 2024
Women’s Health Month: A conversation with Sage
May 23, 2024
Championing cancer equity: Our drive for healthier AANHPI communities
May 1, 2024
New analysis: Accelerated approval pathway is changing lives in underserved communities
April 30, 2024
PhRMA provides grant funding to support the Morehouse School of Medicine Satcher Health Leadership Institute’s Health Equity Tra
December 7, 2023
New social determinants of health simulation explores structural barriers patients face accessing and affording medicines
October 27, 2023
PhRMA awards grants to 2023 Annual Pathways to Success Graduate Summit Partners
September 25, 2023
Between hope and despair: Improving cancer outcomes
July 11, 2023
PhRMA awards grant to Emerson Diversity Health Foundation
April 19, 2023
PhRMA Otorga Beca a la “Emerson Diversity Health Foundation”
April 19, 2023
Using traditional HTAs to determine coverage threatens patient access to medicine
December 14, 2022
Traditional HTAs keep diverse patients out of the conversation
December 7, 2022
Traditional HTA methods treat everyone like the “average” patient
November 7, 2022
You won’t fix what you don’t value: Two reasons why traditional cost-effective analyses can perpetuate health inequities
June 16, 2022
Potential gene therapies bring hope to patients with sickle cell disease
June 6, 2022
Stephanie Dyson of BMS on reducing health disparities
April 27, 2022
Sharing rebates can save Americans with diabetes 500 each year and improve adherence
March 16, 2022
Announcing CAREs Grant Round 4
November 12, 2021
Announcing CAREs Grant Round 4
November 12, 2021
Guest Series: PhRMA talks racial and health equity with Lauren Powell, VP US Health Equity and Community Wellness, Takeda
September 27, 2021
PhRMA awards $75,000 to fund initiatives to reduce health inequities
July 1, 2021
Watch: Building trust and enhancing clinical trial diversity
June 24, 2021
More than 800 medicines are in development for diseases that disproportionately affect racial and ethnic communities
June 22, 2021
PhRMA hosts first stakeholder workshop on clinical trial diversity
June 11, 2021
PhRMA CAREs Grant request for proposals: Addressing inequities in access to COVID-19 testing, therapeutics and vaccines
May 6, 2021
PhRMA member companies share how they are improving clinical trial diversity
April 14, 2021
Guest post: PhRMA talks racial and health equity with Stephanie Dyson, Head of Office at Biogen
January 28, 2021
Paper finds gaps in health data are a barrier to health equity
January 11, 2021
New research shows hotspots of inequity relate to increased COVID-19 hospitalizations
January 8, 2021
Increasing diversity at investigator sites could increase minority participation in clinical trials
December 17, 2020
Report highlights biopharmaceutical industry’s commitment to D&I
December 17, 2020
Strengthening a culture dedicated to patients and equity: A conversation with Percival Barretto-Ko, President of Astellas US
December 16, 2020
PhRMA CAREs Grant request for proposals: Addressing racial disparities in medication utilization and adherence
November 24, 2020
Committing to diversity, equity and inclusion: A call to action for clinical trials
November 19, 2020
Just released: PhRMA members’ new clinical trial diversity principles
November 18, 2020
ICYMI: Addressing health inequities: Biopharmaceutical companies are rising to the occasion
November 2, 2020
Guest Post: Honoring Hispanic Heritage Month by taking action on health equity
October 12, 2020
Sharing rebates can improve access to medicines and increase health equity
September 30, 2020
PhRMA will continue to advocate for equity within our industry
September 10, 2020
Three ways the pharmaceutical industry can positively impact health equity
September 1, 2020
Guest Post: Amgen Foundation stands for equal opportunities in STEM learning
August 24, 2020
Guest Post: Pride started with protest: Combatting the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and racism this Pride Month
June 30, 2020
PhRMA awards $100,000 to fund projects that address health inequalities
June 10, 2020
Observing National Minority Health Month in the age of COVID-19
April 24, 2020
Health Equity
Systemic racism is as real as any disease, and our industry is not immune
August 20, 2020