Blog

Nov 14, 2024, 13:53

Isabel Mestres: In a world where the fight against cancer knows no borders, collaboration is not optional – it’s essential

“A month ago, I felt sadness, frustration, and even embarrassment—a feeling that has lingered, leaving me wondering whether I should speak about it publicly.

After several attempts to connect with a national cancer society from a very high-income country, they declined my meeting invitation to learn about our work and discuss potential collaboration. Their ONLY reason? Our partnerships with the pharmaceutical industry.

This response exposed a difficult truth: in their country, the healthcare system is relatively well-resourced, ensuring cancer patients receive top-class care with limited or no financial burdens. Meanwhile, in many low- and middle-income countries, the gaps are staggering: 70% of global cancer deaths occur in LMICs, yet only 5% of global cancer resources are directed there.

I was only hoping to explore how key resources, training, and campaigns from this society could be adapted to support civil society organizations in LMICs—driving impact where resources are scarce.

For City Cancer Challenge, collaboration with private-sector partners, including pharma, is essential to strengthen healthcare resilience. With in-kind support and unrestricted funding from them—guided by ethical and conflict-of-interest standards outlined in the attached Constructive Engagement Framework—we can address urgent, real-world needs in the cities we support while preserving the integrity of our work. This approach ensures our efforts are driven by local priorities, not donor agendas. This is specially critical in the context of shrinking global health budgets and shifting U.S. policies that risk deprioritizing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), even as cancer cases in LMICs are projected to rise by 60% over the next two decades.

To our private-sector partners: THANK YOU. Your trust and commitment are a lifeline for cancer patients in under-resourced settings. Together, across sectors, we can drive meaningful change and bring hope to millions who deserve access to cancer care, no matter where they live.

It’s time to confront the uncomfortable questions and move beyond outdated perspectives. In a world where the fight against cancer knows no borders, collaboration is not optional—it’s essential.”

Isabel Mestres is the CEO of the City Cancer Challenge (C/Can), previously being the Director of Global Public Affairs. She also led initiatives in membership and partnership development at the International Union for Cancer Control. Mestres’ strategic sense positions her to propel C/Can forward, advancing its mission of enhancing cancer care accessibility in low- and middle-income nations.