Global pharmaceutical major Pfizer India has announced that Project AASTHA, its flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative implemented in partnership with Doctors for You (DFY), has crossed a major milestone by supporting more than 10 lakh patients and caregivers across India since its launch in 2022.
The achievement was commemorated at AASTHA CareConnect 2026 in Bengaluru, where senior government officials, healthcare leaders, policymakers, clinicians, patient advocates and development partners deliberated on strengthening patient navigation systems and improving equitable access to healthcare.
Project AASTHA focuses on bridging critical gaps in patient care by helping individuals navigate complex healthcare systems, access government welfare schemes, receive counselling and connect with essential support services throughout their treatment journey.
With India witnessing a rising burden of cancer and rare diseases, the initiative addresses challenges that extend beyond clinical treatment. Patients and caregivers often struggle with hospital procedures, treatment pathways, financial assistance and access to government schemes. Project AASTHA seeks to simplify these processes, ensuring timely and informed access to care.
Key Achievements Since 2022
Over the past four years, Project AASTHA has delivered significant outcomes across the country:
- Supported over 10 lakh patients and caregivers, including 9.25 lakh cancer patients and 75,000 people living with rare diseases.
- Established 15 Cancer Centres of Excellence and five Rare Disease Centres of Excellence to provide patient navigation and support services.
- Helped secure financial assistance for more than 29,000 beneficiaries, while enabling treatment support for over 33,000 patients.
- Extended specialised assistance to nearly 8,000 children, including those affected by genetic and rare diseases.
Significant Impact in Karnataka
The programme has also made a notable contribution in Karnataka by:
- Supporting more than 59,000 patients through patient navigation services.
- Facilitating over 38,000 applications for government healthcare funding.
- Enabling treatment support for more than 33,000 patients, improving access to timely healthcare across the state.
Speaking on the milestone, Meenakshi Nevatia, Country President, Pfizer India, said Project AASTHA demonstrates how timely guidance, counselling and non-medical support can help patients and caregivers navigate complex treatment journeys with confidence and dignity.
“We are grateful to have supported more than 10 lakh patients and caregivers in need. Together with our partners Doctors for You, we remain committed to enabling early diagnosis, simplifying treatment pathways and continuing to improve access to quality healthcare across India,” she said.
Dr. Rajat Jain, President, Doctors for You, said the AASTHA CareConnect 2026 Forum celebrated the programme’s achievements while charting the future of patient navigation in India.
“Patients and families often require support beyond clinical care—from understanding hospital processes and accessing government welfare schemes to receiving emotional reassurance during treatment. We look forward to scaling helpdesk-led patient navigation models to reach many more people,” he said.
At the conclusion of AASTHA CareConnect 2026, Pfizer India and Doctors for You reaffirmed their commitment to building a more accessible, equitable and patient-centric healthcare ecosystem, while strengthening collaboration to improve health outcomes across the country.
