NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pfizer
Inc. (NYSE:PFE), the National Newspaper Publishers Association
(NNPA), and scholars from Howard
University today announced results from a new national poll
designed to deepen understanding and gauge perceptions around
sickle cell disease (SCD) among African Americans. The poll, which
included responses from adults in the US who self-identified as
African American, revealed that while the majority of respondents
were familiar with SCD and understood the disease in general, only
one-third (36%) were aware that it disproportionately
affects people of African descent,i demonstrating a
critical need for education and awareness.
Sickle cell disease is a lifelong and debilitating disorder that
affects red blood cells.ii It is the most common
inherited blood disorder in the US, and most people living with
sickle cell disease are of African descent.iii In fact,
SCD occurs in one out of every 365 African American
births.iv
"These poll findings will give our readers an in-depth
understanding of how sickle cell disease is perceived by African
Americans," said Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis,
Jr., President of NNPA, a trade association of 211 African
American-owned community newspapers from around the US. "With this
knowledge from the dedicated research team at Howard University, and through our collaboration
with Pfizer, we can spur meaningful conversation and assess the
best ways to improve disease education for those impacted in our
communities."
The poll also revealed:
- Despite long-standing historical perceptions of mistrust in
medical professionals by the African American community, in this
poll 91% of respondents indicated that they believed
health care professionals to be trustworthy.i
- Over three quarters (79%) of respondents
described SCD as "more important" or "just as important" as other
health conditions.i
- Most respondents (76%) had positive or
neutral attitudes toward SCD clinical trials and a majority
indicated a willingness to participate in future clinical trials
for SCD, given appropriate knowledge and recommendations from
health care professionals.i
-
- Historically, clinical trial recruitment obstacles have been a
barrier in SCD research. In a review of 174 SCD trials, difficulty
enrolling patients was the stated cause in nearly half of the
trials that terminated early.v
- The majority (79%) of respondents understood the
importance of disease education and expressed the need for
additional current information, specifically regarding pain relief,
clinical trials, and progress toward better treatment or a
cure.i
"We are encouraged by the poll results as they have allowed us
to gain a better understanding of the perceptions of SCD among
African Americans. These insights will not only help us determine
how to further enhance disease education and awareness, but will
also help us educate SCD patients and their families about the
importance of clinical trials in bringing novel treatment options
to market for those in need," said Dr. Kevin W. Williams, Chief Medical Officer, Pfizer
Rare Disease. "Through our work with patients and the community, as
well as through research and development and clinical trials,
Pfizer remains committed to addressing the unmet needs of people
affected by sickle cell disease."
The poll is a key initiative under the Pfizer-NNPA
collaboration. Throughout the rest of 2017, a series of articles
with more information regarding SCD, its impact, as well as the
common myths, is also being published in NNPA-affiliated
newspapers. The poll results and information about SCD will be
shared with the NNPA network and incorporated into future
educational programs. More information about SCD can be found at
www.Pfizer.com/RareDisease. For more information about the NNPA,
please visit www.nnpa.org.
About the Poll
The National Poll of African
Americans on Sickle Cell Disease Awareness questionnaire
was conducted via a telephone interviewing system by the
Howard University Interdisciplinary
Research Team on behalf of Pfizer Inc. and the National Newspaper
Publishers Association (NNPA) between June
15, 2017 and July 15, 2017. A
total of 741 surveys were completed, drawing from 31,934 telephone
calls made that resulted in polling answers from 741 individuals
aged 20–70 living across the US, who identified as being of African
American ethnicity. Poll respondents were selected from individuals
who had agreed to participate in the survey through the
Howard University Interdisciplinary
Research Team. Results are weighted to the African American
population projected by the Census in the American Community
Survey. The poll was conducted using a nationally representative
survey of the African American population to accurately measure the
knowledge, perceptions, and behavior of the community with regard
to sickle cell disease.
Pfizer Rare Disease
Rare disease includes some of the
most serious of all illnesses and impacts millions of patients
worldwide,vi representing an opportunity to apply our
knowledge and expertise to help make a significant impact on
addressing unmet medical needs. The Pfizer focus on rare disease
builds on more than two decades of experience, a dedicated research
unit focusing on rare disease, and a global portfolio of multiple
medicines within a number of disease areas of focus, including
hematology, neuroscience, and inherited metabolic disorders.
Pfizer Rare Disease combines pioneering science and deep
understanding of how diseases work with insights from innovative
strategic collaborations with academic researchers, patients, and
other companies to deliver transformative treatments and solutions.
We innovate every day leveraging our global footprint to accelerate
the development and delivery of groundbreaking medicines and the
hope of cures.
Click here to learn more about our Rare Disease portfolio and
how we empower patients, engage communities in our clinical
development programs, and support programs that heighten
disease.
Working together for a healthier world®
At
Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring
therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their
lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value
in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care
products. Our global portfolio includes medicines and vaccines as
well as many of the world's best-known consumer health care
products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and
emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and
cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time.
Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier
innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health
care providers, governments and local communities to support and
expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world.
For more than 150 years, we have worked to make a difference for
all who rely on us. We routinely post information that may be
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addition, to learn more, please visit us on www.pfizer.com and
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About the National Newspaper Publishers Association
(NNPA)
The NNPA is a national trade association of 211 Black
and women-owned U.S. media companies with a weekly print and
digital readership of over 20.1 million Black Americans. The Black
Press of America is 190 years old. The NNPA is known as the Black
Press of America and the Voice of Black America, because its member
publishers are trusted, respected and embedded in their local
communities where they provide significant influence and impact.
Learn more about the NNPA.org.
i Data on file. Pfizer Inc, New York, NY.
ii National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. What is
sickle cell disease?
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sca. 2016.
Accessed August 25, 2017.
iii National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI).
Learning about sickle cell disease.
https://www.genome.gov/10001219/learning-about-sickle-cell-disease/.
2016. Accessed July 31, 2017.
iv Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data and
statistics. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/data.html. 2016.
Accessed August 25, 2017.
v Lebensburger JD, Hilliard LM, Pair LE, et al.
Systematic review of interventional sickle cell trials registered
in ClinicalTrials.gov. Clinical Trials. 2015:12(6):575-583.
doi:10.1177/1740774515590811.
vi Pfizer Inc. Rare Disease. Areas of focus.
http://www.pfizer.com/health-wellness/disease-conditions/rare-diseases/areas-of-focus.
Accessed August 25, 2017.
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SOURCE Pfizer