Aliya Z. Omer, Vice President, Global Head of Hematology Franchise and Cell Therapy at AstraZeneca, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“I have spent much of my career listening to people affected by cancer. My visit to China was a powerful reminder that where and how we listen matters.
Across conversations with patient advocates, clinicians and leaders in China’s healthcare and biotech community, I witnessed an ecosystem moving with remarkable pace. But what stayed with me most was the shared focus on a question that sits at the heart of my work: how do we ensure scientific progress reflects what patients need from it?
At AstraZeneca inaugural China Patient Advocacy Leaders Summit, which marked the kickoff of the China Oncology PATH (Patient Advocacy to Transform Healthcare) committee, hearing directly from patients, advocates, healthcare professionals and other members of the cancer community reinforced that listening cannot happen only after decisions have been made. The powerful patient stories shared throughout the event underscored the importance of patient centricity and served as a meaningful call to action. It should help us decide which problems we solve, how we pursue solutions and how we define meaningful progress.
That message carried through my visits across different parts of Chinas healthcare and innovation ecosystem, including discussions with healthcare teams at two leading hospitals. Those conversations provided valuable insight into the patient journey, the unmet needs that remain and the opportunities ahead to continue improving outcomes for people living with blood cancers.
I returned home thinking about the connection between pace and purpose. Science can move quickly, but its value is measured by whether it reaches people and makes a meaningful difference in their lives. Thank you to everyone who welcomed us and shared their perspectives so openly.”
Other posts featuring Aliya Z. Omer on OncoDaily.
