Viatris Global Healthcare Initiatives: Patient Advocacy, HCP Education & Chronic Disease Management
In 2024, Viatris supplied medications targeting the top ten causes of death worldwide, as identified by the WHO. The company has deliberately focused on expanding access to its diverse portfolio across different regions and income levels, aiming to create sustainable markets by fostering innovation and competition. This reach is supported by a robust global infrastructure serving patients in over 165 countries and territories.
Viatris’ companywide access objectives run from 2022 through the end of 2025, focusing on enhancing access to digital and global education for healthcare professionals (HCPs) and providing antiretroviral treatments for individuals living with HIV. Achieving these goals relies on holistic strategies, partnerships, and cross-sector collaboration to create meaningful impact.
Patient-Centered Advocacy
Patients understand that treatment extends beyond medication. Many require advocacy to overcome barriers to diagnosis and care, strengthen health infrastructure, and support disease awareness and patient education. Challenges such as low health literacy and misinformation can hinder treatment adherence. Viatris collaborates with partners worldwide to improve health literacy and patient support.
Some examples include:
Viatris’ companywide access objectives run from 2022 through the end of 2025, focusing on enhancing access to digital and global education for healthcare professionals (HCPs) and providing antiretroviral treatments for individuals living with HIV. Achieving these goals relies on holistic strategies, partnerships, and cross-sector collaboration to create meaningful impact.
Patient-Centered Advocacy
Patients understand that treatment extends beyond medication. Many require advocacy to overcome barriers to diagnosis and care, strengthen health infrastructure, and support disease awareness and patient education. Challenges such as low health literacy and misinformation can hinder treatment adherence. Viatris collaborates with partners worldwide to improve health literacy and patient support.
Some examples include:
- Australia: Working with Eczema Association Australasia to create educational materials on allergic rhinitis.
- Washington, D.C.: Supporting Patients Rising’s “We the Patients Week on Capitol Hill,” where 60 advocates from 20+ states engaged with 70 congressional offices on healthcare policy.
- U.S.: Partnering with the MS Foundation for an awareness campaign, distributing toolkits to ~70,000 patients and hosting live and virtual educational events.
- Supporting The CHEST organization’s First 5 Minutes® program, which provides clinicians with skills in empathetic communication, cultural humility, and patient rapport-building, particularly for conditions like COPD.
- Europe: Collaborating with the Active Citizenship Network on European Patients’ Rights Day to amplify patient voices.
- Supporting the Allergy & Asthma Network’s COPD Virtual Conference Series in English and Spanish, targeting Black and Hispanic communities.
- Supporting We Are ILL to educate Black women diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Strengthening Healthcare Systems through HCP Support
Healthcare workers are pivotal for community health, often serving as the first point of contact. With an estimated global shortage of 15 million healthcare workers by 2030—especially in low- and middle-income countries—supporting these professionals is crucial.
In 2024, Viatris continued to empower healthcare workers worldwide via local programs and digital resources. Viatris Connect Medical, available in 20 countries, provides accredited education, certifications, therapy reviews, clinical guidelines, and scientific journals. Since its launch, over 13,000 professionals have accessed the platform, with approximately 22,800 interactions in 2024 alone. Brazil and Saudi Arabia launched the platform in 2024, with Brazil offering six educational programs across specialties.
The NCD Academy, supported by global partners like the American College of Cardiology and NCD Alliance, added three new courses in 2024: Foundational Concepts in Care Integration for NCDs, HIV and Lifelong Care, and Vaccine Preventable Diseases. These courses highlight the interconnection between infectious and chronic diseases and emphasize integrated care. The platform now has accounts for over 30,000 HCPs and has influenced approximately 115 million patients since its inception.
Expanding Global HCP Engagement
Viatris has engaged healthcare professionals across regions to address non-communicable diseases (NCDs):
Healthcare workers are pivotal for community health, often serving as the first point of contact. With an estimated global shortage of 15 million healthcare workers by 2030—especially in low- and middle-income countries—supporting these professionals is crucial.
In 2024, Viatris continued to empower healthcare workers worldwide via local programs and digital resources. Viatris Connect Medical, available in 20 countries, provides accredited education, certifications, therapy reviews, clinical guidelines, and scientific journals. Since its launch, over 13,000 professionals have accessed the platform, with approximately 22,800 interactions in 2024 alone. Brazil and Saudi Arabia launched the platform in 2024, with Brazil offering six educational programs across specialties.
The NCD Academy, supported by global partners like the American College of Cardiology and NCD Alliance, added three new courses in 2024: Foundational Concepts in Care Integration for NCDs, HIV and Lifelong Care, and Vaccine Preventable Diseases. These courses highlight the interconnection between infectious and chronic diseases and emphasize integrated care. The platform now has accounts for over 30,000 HCPs and has influenced approximately 115 million patients since its inception.
Expanding Global HCP Engagement
Viatris has engaged healthcare professionals across regions to address non-communicable diseases (NCDs):
- Ukraine: Partnered with societies to reach 10,000+ professionals on treatment adherence.
- Middle East: Hosted the HEAL Conference and Forum, engaging 13,000 HCPs and collaborating with NYU Abu Dhabi on NCD care.
- China: Sponsored panels at the Pain Summit to improve pain management.
- Morocco: Hosted the VI’ATELIER summit with 150+ professionals discussing chronic conditions.
- South Korea & Asia: Conducted virtual focus groups and masterclasses for thousands of HCPs.
- Europe: Partnered with Younger Lives to promote healthy behaviors and therapy adherence using the Diabetes Age tool, and explored generational differences in healthcare decision-making.
New 2024 NCD Academy Courses
- Foundational Concepts in Care Integration: Equips HCPs to address complex NCD challenges.
- HIV and Lifelong Care: Emphasizes continuous care for HIV and its interplay with chronic diseases.
- Vaccine Preventable Diseases: Highlights how vaccines intersect with chronic and infectious disease management.
Promoting Integrated Care
Integrating care for infectious and chronic conditions enhances healthcare efficiency and patient outcomes. Viatris has contributed to research on gaps in NCD care for people living with HIV, releasing in 2024 a publication on real patient experiences presented at the International AIDS Conference and discussed at UN and global forums.
Additional initiatives include:
Integrating care for infectious and chronic conditions enhances healthcare efficiency and patient outcomes. Viatris has contributed to research on gaps in NCD care for people living with HIV, releasing in 2024 a publication on real patient experiences presented at the International AIDS Conference and discussed at UN and global forums.
Additional initiatives include:
- Germany: Published research supporting influenza vaccination for adults with underlying conditions.
- UK: Promoted primary care management of common conditions to reduce specialist referrals.
Addressing Aging Populations and NCD Burden
With populations living longer, NCD burdens rise. Viatris, along with external experts, studied generational differences in healthcare, proposing digital solutions and generationally sensitive communication to improve access and patient empowerment.
With populations living longer, NCD burdens rise. Viatris, along with external experts, studied generational differences in healthcare, proposing digital solutions and generationally sensitive communication to improve access and patient empowerment.
- China: Supported a project for predicting cardiovascular disease risk and improving cholesterol management in 2,500+ centers, enrolling over 670,000 patients.
- Spain: The Viatris Foundation highlighted aging and chronic disease prevalence, advocating for optimized pharmaceutical spending, care integration, and digitalization.
Advancing Health Equity for MS Patients
Viatris implemented initiatives in 2024 to enhance equitable MS care in the U.S., including patient engagement tools, analyses of race/ethnicity disparities, and provider education in culturally competent care. Programs like PRO Connect and longitudinal surveys demonstrated increased patient participation in treatment decisions and greater provider confidence in shared decision-making, with potential for broader adoption and sustained improvement in MS care.
Viatris implemented initiatives in 2024 to enhance equitable MS care in the U.S., including patient engagement tools, analyses of race/ethnicity disparities, and provider education in culturally competent care. Programs like PRO Connect and longitudinal surveys demonstrated increased patient participation in treatment decisions and greater provider confidence in shared decision-making, with potential for broader adoption and sustained improvement in MS care.
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