INSIGHTS – 2022 Q4
Welcome back to INSIGHTS, our progress update for the end of 2022.
As we head into 2023, we thank you for supporting us with your generous donations that help make a difference in the lives of those with cancer, and other serious illness, in South and Southeast Asia.
This year, Two Worlds Cancer Collaboration will continue to push to ‘Close the Circle’ – helping build sustainable capacity to support cancer prevention, early diagnosis, treatment, and cure, as well as continued support for compassionate palliative and end-of-life care.
Shine Some Light
For the past three years the theme for our year-end fundraising campaign has been Shine Some Light.
This year’s campaign did indeed Shine Some Light raising $174,000 through donations from you, our individual donors, and the generous support of philanthropic foundations. For that we are incredibly grateful. This generosity energizes our volunteers and partners to put in the countless volunteer hours and work that build our programs.
Powering Palliative Care in India
– Andhra Pradesh
The Kurnool Palliative Care Centre at the Kurnool Medical Centre and Government Hospital, Andhra Pradesh, opened in May 2019 to take care of the large unmet needs of people living with end stage cancer in the city of Kurnool and neighbouring districts.
This was highly aligned with Two Worlds Cancer’s shared vision for building depth, scale and networking in palliative care in India. Based on the successful model developed in Hyderabad, the Kurnool Palliative Care program has been generously supported by a long-time donor and advocate of Two Worlds Cancer Collaboration’s vision and mission.
Since opening, the Kurnool team – led by Dr. C.S.K. Prakash, Professor & Head, Radiotherapy, Clinical Oncology & Cancer Pain and Palliative Care – has earned praise for their provision of palliative care in the state. The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), a leading professional international organization for medical oncology, recognized the Kurnool department as a Designated Centre of Integrated Oncology and Palliative Care for the period 2022-24. This is a very deserved and prestigious award for the Kurnool team and reflects their dedication and hard work.
Sunflower Children’s Network – Bangladesh
Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh, organized an in-person, pediatric palliative care workshop, Hands on Training on Pediatric Palliative Care, to improve palliative care knowledge, skills and communication among physicians caring for children with cancer. The workshop included three international faculty – Dr. Megan Doherty (Canada), Dr. Ishak Mohammad Tayoob (India) and Dr. Smriti Khanna (India) with additional virtual teaching from Drs. Mike McNeil and Justin Baker (St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, USA). The 25 participants included pediatric oncologists and surgeons from various government hospitals.
A Hyderabad Success Story
In 2010, two home care teams were supported by Two Worlds Cancer Collaboration. Today the program has grown to ten, van-based teams that provide patient and family care six days a week including two vans dedicated to caring for children. Support is offered around the clock with team nurses taking mobile calls at night.
Today the program is sustained by funding from NGOs in India. It’s this type of grassroots initiative that your donations support – programs that Two Worlds Cancer help fund based on needs identified by our local partner organizations.
Highlighting Our Partnerships
Our partnerships and programs were highlighted virtually at a number of global and national conferences in the autumn – World Cancer Congress, London Global Cancer Week 2022, and the 2022 Canadian Global Oncology Network.
At the World Cancer Congress, Dr. Simon Sutcliffe moderated a panel discussion highlighting our collaborative approach to building healthcare capacity: ‘Closing the Circle’ – Addressing inter-related health challenges through inter-connected solutions in LMICs.
At London Global Cancer Week 2022 the presentation focussed on our children’s palliative care partnerships. Dr. Megan Doherty hosted the virtual presentation – Building and Strengthening Health Systems towards Population Based Care for Children with Cancer: Learning from Palliative Care Approaches.
Two Worlds Cancer's volunteers and partners presenting at the global conferences included: Dr. Gillian Fyles (Canada), Dr. Puneet Bains (Canada), Camara van Breemen (Canada), Prof. Stuart Peacock (Canada), Dr. Stuart Brown (New Zealand), Prof. Gayatri Palat (India), Prof., Bishnu Paudel (Nepal), Prof. R Surenthirakumaran (Sri Lanka), Dr. Sudhir Sapkota (Nepal), Dr. Deepak Shrestha (Nepal), Dr. Spandana Rayala (Kuwait); Dr. Maria Liza Naranjo (Philippines), and Swaroop Immaraju (India)
Facing a New Year Challenge
The New Year is upon us and as with the past two years, it will be challenging. In these difficult economic times we will depend more heavily on our donors to continue the support so generously provided in the past. We look forward to your continued support and commitment to our vision and mission as we help build compassionate care in South and Southeast Asia.
On behalf of the Two Worlds Cancer Collaboration team, thank you for your generous and continuing support!
Sincerely,
Dr. Simon Sutcliffe
President Two Worlds Cancer Collaboration