Maximizing World Cancer Day: The Max Foundation hands over 12,000 signatures endorsing the World Cancer Declaration
Executive Director, Pat Garcia-Gonzalez, along with a delegation of patient leaders, cancer survivors and caregivers from low-to-middle-income countries, will present 12,000 World Cancer Declaration signatures to the leaders of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) in honor of World Cancer Day. The signatures, which were collected during the 2010 Maximize Life Global Cancer Awareness Campaign, represent 86 countries and exemplify the positive impact of access to treatment not only on the individual patient and their family, but also on the entire community.
The delegation handing over the signatures includes Rod, the president of a cancer patient organization in the Philippines, whose 13 year old son is a leukemia survivor; Maria Isabel, the president of a patient association in Venezuela, herself a leukemia survivor; Viji, a leader in cancer care for over 20 years Head of The Max Foundation’s office in Mumbai, India, and Javier, an advocate from Mexico, a survivor who collected more than 800 signatures to the declaration. The date of the actual signature handover has significance to the delegate from Mexico. Javier shares, “February 5th is the most important day of my life; in 2000 on the very same date I received a Bone Marrow Transplant. And thanks to God, to the great work of the physicians in Guadalajara, and with the help of my wife; I now have a good quality of life. This is why I like to collaborate with my community.”
“The 2010 Global Cancer Awareness Campaign was taken to the next level with the addition of the World Cancer Declaration signature drive,” says Executive Director, Pat Garcia-Gonzalez, “This campaign has given voice to the unheard, those who do not have a global platform or microphone, yet those who care about cancer control because their lives and the lives of their loved ones depend having access to treatment and support.”
Background:
The Maximize Life Global Cancer Awareness Campaign, carried out in partnership with over 30 patient associations from around the world, aimed at raising awareness of the needs of cancer patients in low and middle income countries. Lack of cancer control plans often result in high mortality rates. While cancer is on the rise worldwide, 70 percent of all cancer deaths are in developing countries.