Stories of Dignity and Hope: India and Philippines
Cancer survivors like my mom are real heroes, not many people have the courage to look at death in the eye and say CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!
[vc_video link=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSbC8UEsBXE’]
Thousands of patients are diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) annually around the world. CML, like any other cancer, does not discriminate. It affects people from all regions and walks of life. However, unlike many other cancers, CML has an amazing story due to advancements made in its treatment in the last decade. It was only 15 years ago that a patient newly diagnosed with CML would have a prognosis of survival of less than 5 years with the treatments available at the time.
The story of CML goes hand in hand with how lives can be changed even in remote areas of the world once patients have access to the latest treatment, regardless of affordability. Each one of the three cancer survivors and advocates featured in the video want you to know that life and survival is dear to all, regardless of where you are from. They tell their individual stories of survival and are able to share it with us because they were given the gift of life when they so needed it. Now, they are able to give of themselves to other patients. Today we will be sharing the powerful stories of how access to treatment, especially in remote areas, can change the course of the relationship between disease and patient. We invite you to listen to these stories and call on you to join us and urge your respective governments to lay the pathway for access to treatment for all cancer patients and give the gift of life, hope and dignity that every patient deserves.

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.

Between all the emails, paper and meetings and the general rush of everyday life, it can be often neglected to reflect on the actual motivation for the efforts and input we make. On a recent dry and hazy morning my colleague, Geraldine, and I find ourselves lost in one of the neighboring townships. In South….

For people living with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), regular disease monitoring using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing is critical to achieving successful health outcomes. Mutation testing is another key test for individuals who fail to respond to one or more treatments. Despite the importance of these tests, they are unaffordable and therefore inaccessible for many people living with CML in the Philippines.