Pfizer stands firm with First Nations amidst stalled progress on Closing the Gap

Pfizer Australia launched its Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) today, building on the learnings from its Reflect RAP and reaffirming its commitment to reconciliation and health equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The launch comes against a backdrop of concerning trends in the May Federal Budget, which revealed a decline in funding for First Nations health programs this year and in the forward estimates. The latest Closing the Gap report underscores the urgency of action, showing only 5 of the 19 targets are on track.

Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, highlighted the challenges ahead. “The most recent Closing the Gap data shows we still have a long way to go. First Nations peoples continue to experience disadvantage characterised by high rates of poor health, poverty, incarceration, and overwhelmingly, a general lack of empowerment. If we want to end this disadvantage once and for all, we need to work differently.”

Healthcare organisations, including Pfizer, are stepping up efforts to formalise Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs), aiming to convert intentions into measurable action. Developed in partnership with Reconciliation Australia, Pfizer Australia’s Innovate RAP provides a framework to build respectful relationships, create opportunities, and foster a culture of reconciliation.

Anne Harris, Managing Director of Pfizer Australia and New Zealand, reaffirmed the company’s commitment.

“We recognise the importance of reconciliation and the need to take concrete steps to address the historical and ongoing challenges faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” she said. “Our vision for reconciliation is very clear: to be active and effective advocates alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, especially with respect to health inequities.”

The Closing the Gap report also revealed no progress in narrowing the life expectancy gap. Indigenous Australian males and females are projected to live 8.8 and 8.1 years less than their non-Indigenous counterparts, a stark reminder of the entrenched disparities.

At the recent NACCHO conference, Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler MP said “We have worked hard to deliver on the promises we took to the last election and stay true to our principles, whether that be in training more First Nations health practitioners, transitioning more programs to First Nations-led organisations, or embedding more First Nations voices into the governance structures of the health system and health portfolio.”

Leigh Simmonds, Pfizer Australia RAP Champion and Senior Manager for Patient Advocacy, expressed gratitude for the collective effort behind the Innovate RAP.

“I am deeply thankful to our First Nations Advisors for all their time and wisdom, trust, and vouching,” she said. “I am also very thankful to my colleagues for rising to the challenging fact that organisations don’t reconcile: it is the individuals within them who do. And that comes down to the individual, daily decisions to learn, show up, stand up and be seen, even if that is quiet, reflective, and behind the scenes sometimes – it is all part of how we lean into this rewarding work.”

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