Pfizer

Orbis is proud of the many partnerships we have built and strengthened over the years, including our long-standing collaboration with Pfizer. With Pfizer’s continued support through the donation of antibiotics, we have made significant progress in our mission to save sight.

The Pfizer–Orbis relationship dates back to 1979, three years before Orbis’s first sight-saving flight, when Pfizer began supporting Orbis through cash grants and donations of medical supplies.

In 2000, recognising the scale of the blindness-causing trachoma pandemic in Ethiopia, Pfizer donated the first of three $75,000 annual grants to fund an Orbis-led trachoma management study. Trachoma, a bacterial disease that can lead to blindness if left untreated, thrives in rural areas where people have limited access to fresh water and basic health care.

The Pfizer-funded study researched the effectiveness of different treatments and laid the groundwork for the launch in 2003 of an ongoing trachoma reduction project in southern Ethiopia. Implemented by Orbis, the project is based on the World Health Organization’s SAFE strategy — Surgery, Antibiotics, Face Washing, and Environmental Change.

• Kills the bacteria that cause trachoma
• Treats active infections, preventing progression to blindness
• Prevents transmission by treating entire communities
• Forms a core part of the WHO-endorsed SAFE strategy

Orbis ensures Zithromax reaches whole communities through mass drug administration (MDA) campaigns in Ethiopia and other high-risk regions. This involves:

• Partnerships with governments & Ministries of Health – training and supporting community health workers.
• Mass distribution days – treating entire communities at once to stop reinfection.
• Reaching vulnerable groups – especially children, who are most at risk.
• Integrating health education – promoting face washing and hygiene alongside antibiotics.
• Monitoring & follow-up – ensuring high coverage and measuring impact

Zithromax stops the infection at its source — and Orbis makes sure it protects not just individuals, but entire populations.

Building on these achievements, Orbis and Pfizer are working together to significantly expand the trachoma reduction programme to reach additional areas across Ethiopia over the next five years.