Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center

Intoduction

Pfizer has - as a large pharmaceutical company in Norway - made an unusual decision when becoming a main sponsor to the Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports and it's Olympic teams as from January 1st 2002.

"We wish to cooporate with Norwegian sports to make our community aware of our role as partner for activities within Norwegian elite sports and activities to promote Norwegian peoples' physical health", says Country Manager Fredrik S. Bendiksen in Pfizer Norway. His long experience both as a General Physician and in Sports Medicine has shown him how important physical activity is for general health.

Country Manager Fredrik S. Bendiksen in Pfizer Norway wishes to contribute to better health through an increased focus on physical activity in Norway

Pfizer has for the past two years assisted the Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports with the establishment and the financing of the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center.

Bendiksen continues: "Norwegian physicians are generally known for being good at treating sports injuries. Preventing sports injuries is, on the contrary, not an established tradition. An anterior cruciate ligament injury creates a direct cost to the community of approximately one million Norwegian kroner. With focus on prevention of such injuries the community will save a large amount of money and the individual a large amount of pain and decreased quality of life. The number of injuries each year is high, and they often strike young people."

Pfizer contributes yearly with significant research funding: 75 million Norwegian kroner in 2001 and even more in 2002.

The fact that The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Culture, Norsk Lottery, the Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports and Pfizer AS have cooperated to establish Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center has attracted international attention.

"We believe that this is a start of a new era where we will see more necessary and important cooperation between the private and public health service sector, says Bendiksen."

This is part of the reasoning behind the important cooperation between Pfizer and the Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports. Pfizers' expertise in sports medicine is the reason behind the natural cooperation with the Norwegian Confederation of Sports. Just like Pfizer, the Norwegian Confederation of Sports has realized the relation between good health and physical activity.

Exchange of expertise

Pfizer strives to promote better physical heath beyond what concerns the use of medication.

"We know that physical activity can reduce the need for medication, and good documentation proves that physical activity is positive for large patient groups.

We are therefore proud to have beeb asked by the Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports to cooperate, and can very well identify with their goals", says Bendiksen.

As Country Manager for one of the worlds largest Pharmaceutical Companies he feels it is time for the big companies to enlarge their role in the community to a greater extent.

Bendiksen concludes by saying: "We will take on a responsibility for the community by sharing our expertise with the Norwegian Confederation of Sports, who will implement health and physical activity in the Norwegian population."