Global Access and Equity in Cancer Care: Pat Garcia Gonzalez v2 | United Against Cancer

Join us for this episode of United Against Cancer, where Dr. Pat Garcia-Gonzalez, CEO of The Max Foundation, delves into the issue of access to oncology medicines with the versatile Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu. Dr Garcia-Gonzalez discusses the foundation’s mission to provide access to cancer treatments in low and middle-income countries, inspired by her stepson, Max’s, battle with chronic myeloid leukaemia. She addresses the challenges of overcoming cancer-related stigmas in LATAM regions and the necessity for sustainable solutions.

Pat Garcia-Gonzalez is the CEO and co-founder of The Max Foundation, an organization committed to promoting health equity by enhancing global access to cancer treatment, care, and support. She serves as an advisor to the CML Advocates Network and the International CML Foundation, and is a board member of the Partnership for Quality Medical Donations.

Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu is a global cancer advocate, a pediatrician, a UICC Board Member, Founder of the Medicaid Cancer Foundation, and the Chairperson of First Ladies Against Cancer (FLAC).

Dr. Bagudu is working with the state ministries of health, education, and women affairs to implement programs to sustainably improve menstrual hygiene, girl-child education, economic empowerment of women, and put an end to gender-based violence. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu is a member of the Editorial Board of OncoDaily.

Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu: Thank you for sharing some parts of your journey with us. It’s very heartbreaking when you see the impact that cancer can have on patients and you need to work with the community to truly understand that. I love the way you call each and every one of them your friend, you know, right from the age of 16.

That’s understandable since you have lived with your stepson who had this problem as well. But still not everybody that has been directly impacted like that is able to go into it the way you have done. So once more congratulations to the Max Foundation, the work that you’re doing.

You’re currently working in over 74 countries delivering about 20 drugs, different drugs I believe. And so you manage a network of about 500 physicians. I have it written down here, 500 physicians and 200 medical institutions to deliver life-saving treatments.

I manage maybe 20 people. And I have it right here, here, there and everywhere. So how do you manage that network?
Of course, we have IT now that is very helpful, but it’s still not, it’s not everywhere that has access to great IT systems. How do you manage that fast network and keep a track of all this life-saving, you know, medicines and devices that you’re helping people to access all over the world?

Pat Garcia-Gonzalez: You know, we have been doing this for more than 20 years. And one of the things we did at the beginning was we created our own software. It’s a patient tracking system.
So we track, this is a web-based application and these physicians that are part of our network, they can sign into this system and we assign, you know, we have the information of each individual patient, who is their physician, what dose are they receiving?

And so the system is very smart and help us on not losing track of all the patients. But you know, so the systems are very important and we have worked really hard because we understand and the bandwidth of the internet in many hospitals.
So, you know, we have a physician app and they can submit information when they’re not online. And then when they come online, you know, it all comes through. So we’ve done a lot to overcome technical challenges, but you know, the most important thing, and last year in totality of all the partners we had that work with us, we had 936 partners that are part of this.

And the important thing is that every person is dedicated in a way that, you know, we couldn’t do it without them. Everybody is a volunteer, all these physicians volunteer their time and they just are so dedicated to our program because I think we have built a relationship of trust and because we are giving them the tools they need to treat their patients. They are so dedicated to making sure this program works.

We ask a lot from physicians in our program. We ask a lot, a lot of information. You can imagine we have to ask them for inventory reports and dispensation logs and all sorts of things, all sorts of things.

But I think everybody does it because it’s such a unique opportunity. I think that I haven’t been able to really convey to the world what it means for physicians, and you probably know you can convey better than I can, what it means to have the tools to treat your patients and see them survive. And I think that is what makes the program successful.

Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu: Well, thank you again, but you can never really know until you’re wearing the shoes and you understand what the issues are. And in your case, you’re wearing it from another end. You might not have been the oncologist, but you know the value of those drugs.

You know how to get it, access is the greatest problem that we have. And understanding that, I read something you wrote, I can’t remember the full quote, but you said, the bucket is never full. There’s always a hole, and so it’s sort of what you described now.
Initially, it was access, getting it there, the cost, and then you do it, and then it’s sustainability. So there’s always a hole in the bucket. So that’s really important.

But you also mentioned the fact that there are issues which you might not understand, but despite that, you’ve received so many awards globally, huge numbers of awards that we couldn’t really keep track with. So how do you think such awards impact your mission, and how does it help you to go further? I know that you are always on a fundraising drive, you’re always on a partnership drive, and it’s been successful.

And it’s really amazing when your work is recognized and you’re rewarded for it. So tell us about the nice reward side for the Max Foundation team and for Max.

Pat Garcia-Gonzalez: Thank you. It’s always, of course, nice to be recognized for our work. But I have to tell you, I feel a very strong responsibility to be the voice of the unheard and the forgotten.

So I am very aware of the opportunity that I have, and the opportunity that these awards give me to make sure the world sees these people, these individuals, these families that are desperate for help. So I think that that is the most important way in which these awards help. Of course, it helps to show that we’re serious in the work that we do.

And as you said, you know, there’s so much more that needs to be done. So we need to continue to bring in new partners and to bring in more resources so we can help more people. And, you know, this recognition really helps in doing that.

But my life responsibility is that the world will hear them and see them and not think that they’re not important, that the lives of every person we can help, because there is so much that we cannot do. There’s so much out of our control. And, you know, I’m an advocate, as advocates as you are.

As advocates, sometimes we can think we can achieve anything. And, you know, cancer is very tricky and difficult. And we are not God.
We are not God. We have to remember, we do everything we can, but there are things out of our control that we cannot save everyone. And that is the reality.

But we have a responsibility to do everything we can and prevent unnecessary suffering. And I think this is a beacon of hope for the world, even if it’s a small, it’s a beacon of hope that we can show that together, if we put our energy together, we can have so many more people. So I appreciate very much these recognitions that help us making sure that people living with cancer in Africa and other regions are not forgotten.

Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu: And we deeply, deeply appreciate it. We appreciate your time. I know that you work with us some more.

We haven’t spoken about the specific countries that you’re working, but I do know that you have a lot on the African continent and the impact that it’s making. So I really thank you for your time, Pat. If you have any more last words to say, now is the time.
I know you give these interviews every day, but you will continue to give them. The more you do, the more you are amplifying the work that you do. And then of course, encouraging others.

It’s so important that we encourage the smaller foundations that are now all over the place and let them see the good example and the good story and that it can really be done, not just the civil society foundations, but even governments and access programs that are popping up all over the place. Now, every major association has an access program now. And the best example, everybody comes up with is the Max Foundation, the use of digital.

Yeah, it’s always Max, Max, the way they run their access. And it’s amazing. So well done.
Thank you so much. Any last words before I ask you to stay united against cancer?

Pat Garcia-Gonzalez: Thank you. I appreciate very much the opportunity. And I would only ask to check out our website at maxfoundation.org.
And we’re always looking for organizations and people to partner with. So I think that that’s the most important thing. Together, we can really multiply our impact.

So I really appreciate very, very much all the work you’re doing in Nigeria. I have not been there for a few years. But the last time I was there, I loved everyone.
I met so many wonderful people in Nigeria. So I hope to come.

Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu: Yes, I hope you come soon. And it will be a delight to host you. So before we let you go, we’re going to ask you to just stay with the most passion that you can muster.
United against cancer.

Pat Garcia-Gonzalez: United against cancer.

Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu: Thank you. I didn’t say happy birthday at the beginning, but happy birthday. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much. All right. Thank you.