As part of our 20th Anniversary Celebration on October 19th, The Max Foundation was honored to have Princess Dina, President-elect of the Union of International Cancer Control, reflect on our global efforts over the last two decades. We share her letter here with gratitude and humility.
“Lack of access to treatment” is a five-word sentence that is bandied about a lot in the global advocacy world. The academic-style labeling of the term at times numbs us from the real horror on the ground from what “lack of access to treatment” actually looks like.
Not The Max Foundation. The Max Foundation understood that when a child, for example, has chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and does not have access to medication, it literally means that this child will die in excruciating pain and right in front of their helpless parents, whose only fault is that they live in the wrong hemisphere. As the mother of a cancer survivor, I cannot begin to imagine how horrific this would be.
If there is one organization whose sole mission is to deliver rather than talk about access to treatment, it would be The Max Foundation. With more than four million monthly doses of lifesaving treatment, love and support given to over 80,000 patients for 20 years, through great local and regional partnerships, The Max Foundation has translated “access to treatment” to what it really means: “access to life”.
With the overwhelming knowledge that 70% of global cancer deaths are in low- and middle-income countries, who are least prepared to deal with cancer, The Max Foundation did not shy away from this statistic, but rather it steeled their resolve. The Max Foundation started working, reaching out and never wavered. Day in, day out for 20 years, The Max Foundation has heeded the call of help from so many patients.
As pioneers in the management of global access programs, as well as other access channels and diverse partnerships, The Max Foundation has delivered on its mission and has honored the legacy of Maximiliano (Max) Rivarola in the most noble of ways: his memory is forever linked with the lives of thousands of human beings from all over the world who have been given a second chance at life.
Her Royal Highness Princess Dina Mired,
President-elect of the Union of International Cancer Control
Former CEO of King Hussein Cancer Foundation in Amman, Jordan
The Max Foundation is a leading global health nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating health equity. For 28 years, Max has pioneered practical, scalable, high-quality solutions to bring life-extending treatments and patient-centered health care to more than 100,000 people living with cancer and critical illness in low- and middle-income countries. Max believes in a world where all people can access high-impact medicines, where geography is not destiny, and where everyone can strive for health with dignity and with hope.
Meet Fiorella from Chiclayo, Peru. With determination, a positive attitude, and support from her husband and parents, she’s been successfully managing her chronic myeloid leukemia for 20 years now. She’s also been able to start a family of her own. Fiorella’s story shows the power of the human spirit and the importance of providing access….
Have you visited the 2015 Maximize Life Essay Contest webpage recently? The Max Foundation is honored to share that the 2015 Maximize Life Essay Contest winners are officially released! Three winners in total, one for each of the French, English and Spanish categories, were selected by a panel of highly esteemed judges within the global health community. You may view the complete panel of judges here. We are exceedingly grateful for the valuable time and input provided by each of the judges. With 71 meaningful and authentic personal stories submitted, it was no small task to select only one winner for each language category!
Health systems around the world are strained due to the high burden of costs. In an attempt to guide decision-makers in their choices on behalf of patients, the topic of value frameworks was born. These value frameworks evaluate all aspects of cancer treatment: clinical benefit, side effects, and improvement in patient symptoms or quality of life. But given the complexities of the multitude of health systems around the world, it is not a straightforward discussion. And right now, it’s a dialogue driven by thought leaders and health economists from the US and Europe. But there are critical voices is missing from this discussion: patients and patient advocates.
