Pfizer health information campaign encourages blacks to 'Be Powerful'

By Nakia Herring
Baltimore Times
(March, 24, 2006) Health disparities continue to affect African Americans at an alarming rate. We all have heard the statistics over and over again. Now it is time to do something about them. Pfizer Inc., the world's largest research-based pharmaceutical company, has joined with Radio One, NAACP, the National Black Nurses Association, NBC 4, the National Medical Association and local legislators and community-based organizations to get African Americans pro-active about their health care.

On March 22, 2006 Pfizer launched the Be Powerful campaign at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum with special guest Debbie Allen as a campaign spokesperson. The campaign encourages health education and awareness amongst African Americans, through educational tools, resources and patient empowerment.

Along with Allen, celebrities such as Yolanda Adams, Nikki Giovanni and Iyania Vanzant will be featured in public service announcements promoting the Be Powerful campaign.

“This is a campaign that we are really excited to launch. It has been about a year and a half to two years in the making. We stepped back and did a lot of research into the challenges that face the African-American community concerning health, and also challenges facing health care providers. Be Powerful is the result of that work,” said Laura Cruz, senior manager of Multi Cultural Marketing for Pfizer Global Pharmaceuticals.

Cruz said there are three areas of focus. “We are providing health information to the African-American community, where they work, play and live. Secondly, we are reaching out to health care providers. We offer materials that can be looked at in the offices, but we want to make the doctors culturally aware of the issues. Most African Americans do not see African-American doctors; most of them see a white doctor. Lastly, we want to be a resource. We have Be Powerful.com as a resource that we are offering information in a sustainable way.”

Be Powerful is not only offering health information, but sharing these messages through community outreach programs and via magazine and newspaper ads, radio commercials, billboards and public service announcements.

National Medical Association representative, Elijah Saunders, M.D. is also championing the campaign. “For years, we have heard the staggering statistics and now we need to take the next step. We need to ensure access to care and improve health outcomes of African Americans by helping to make the interactions between African American patients and their physicians more effective. We need to empower people to take control of their health.”

Besides Baltimore, The Be Powerful campaign has already launched in Washington, D.C. with more events scheduled throughout the year.

Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) have shown that 63.1 percent of African Americans living in Maryland are obese or overweight. The CDCP states that being overweight or obese can lead to other diseases and health conditions, including hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

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