WILMINGTON, DE — AstraZeneca announced it has awarded $3.4 million to nonprofit organizations across the United States through its Accelerate Change Together on Health Equity initiative to support programs addressing barriers to care and improving health outcomes.
Now in its fifth year, the initiative will fund 47 nonprofit programs focused on expanding health care access, improving nutrition, advancing lung health and reducing preventable conditions in underserved communities, according to the company.
The 2025 Community Solutions Challenge awarded $1.11 million to 37 nonprofit organizations nationwide, providing $30,000 grants to each recipient. The grants will support community-based programs addressing food insecurity, comprehensive nutrition education, access to care and lung health for people affected by asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer.
The 2025 National Strategic Collaborations program awarded $2.3 million to 10 organizations. AstraZeneca said those grants support initiatives aligned with its areas of expertise, including lung disease, lung and breast cancer and cardiology, and are aimed at reducing barriers that contribute to higher rates of preventable conditions or limit access to standard care.
Mohit Manrao, senior vice president and head of U.S. Oncology and president of the AstraZeneca Foundation, said the initiative is intended to reduce barriers to care and support organizations working at the community level.
Karen Santilli, chief executive officer of the Greater Providence YMCA, which received a 2025 Community Solutions Challenge grant, said the funding will help expand its Adaptive Fitness Program. She said the program serves adults with chronic conditions, mobility limitations and disabilities by offering inclusive fitness options, specialized equipment and trained staff.
AstraZeneca said the ACT on Health Equity initiative is designed to address social, cultural and linguistic factors that can affect access to care and health outcomes in communities that have experienced barriers to opportunity.
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