Blog

Carmen Monge-Montero: Migration and Cancer Care – A Shared Journey

Carmen Monge-Montero/LinkedIn

Jan 11, 2025, 14:00

Carmen Monge-Montero: Migration and Cancer Care – A Shared Journey

Carmen Monge-Montero, Researcher and patient advocate at Youth Cancer Europe, posted on LinkedIn:

“Migration and Cancer Care: A Shared Journey

I’m honored to share this video where April (Philippines) and I (Costa Rica) discuss the challenges migrants face in accessing cancer care.

In this beautiful video, created by Youth Cancer Europe. We highlight the realities of discrimination, cultural barriers, and the lack of inclusive support systems that many migrants might have.

Our stories show the need for healthcare systems to:

Be inclusive = more welcoming for everyone
Recognize diverse patient experiences, backgrounds and customs
Provide equitable and accessible care for all, and take into account their patient’s voices

As migrants and cancer survivors, we’ve experienced how cultural sensitivity and understanding can make a world of difference during one of life’s most vulnerable moments and even years after the treatments.

I want to acknowledge, that even though we were migrants by choice, there are so many people with a lived cancer experience who were migrants by necessity, like refugees, and they have extra challenges.

I hope this video sparks conversation and action toward building more inclusive healthcare systems – because no one should face cancer alone, especially in a foreign land.

Let’s keep raising our voices for change!”

Watch Further.

Carmen Monge-Montero is a researcher and patient advocate at Youth Cancer Europe. She is the founder and content creator at Monge Consultancy and is also an advocate with MANO. In addition to her advocacy work, she is a global cancer advocate and a children’s book author.