Each year, The Max Foundation selects a colleague to receive our Excellence in Patient Advocacy Award, honoring a member of our global team who has done something especially remarkable that year. On December 17th, we were delighted to present this year’s Excellence in Patient Advocacy Award to Viji Venkatesh, Region Head for South Asia, for her tireless dedication to the patients she serves.
In this work, we are diligently preparing for the possibility of unexpected changes that force us to do something extraordinary for our patients.. This year, Viji found herself in just this situation, when a new government-imposed import tax threatened patients’ access to life-saving cancer treatment.
For months, Viji has tirelessly advocated with government officials on behalf of the 18,000 patients she serves in India. These patients remain at the forefront of her mind as she works to preserve access to their life-saving medicine. Viji is an example to us all in her relentless and courageous efforts on behalf of her patients. We were pleased to recognize her efforts and dedication with this award, and are grateful to have her fierce devotion to her patients as an inspiration for every member of our global team.
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.
Every year, throughout the month of October, we honor Max and his legacy by partnering with our network of cancer organizations to carry out the Maximize Life Global Cancer Awareness Campaign. It is a month of service that aims at decreasing stigma and increasing hope for people living with cancer around the world.
Nothing is more powerful than storytelling, especially when it’s told from a person’s first-hand experience.
In the Asia Pacific region, we are often known as “shy” community. We do not often share our stories publicly, especially a story about cancer diagnosis. We often have no one to turn to because we do not want our parents to worry; we do not want our children to feel the burden; we do not want to tell our neighbors who might be starting to avoid us because we are diagnosed with cancer.
Physicians are an essential part of our work. We partner with more than 500 healthcare professionals who provide cancer treatment in low- and middle-income countries. They volunteer to be in our program, caring for people in need on top of their regular schedule. Dr. Mipsang Lama is a perfect example – he goes above and….
