Advancing Global Health Equity
Expanding the US.-Australia Cancer Alliance Toward an Asia Pacific Collaborative Effort to Save Millions of Lives
November 21, 2024
Today (November 21st, 2024), Cure4Cancer and Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis have published the second report in C4C’s series on Advancing Global Health Equity, and it builds on the framework of the international collaboration and regulatory harmonization of clinical cancer trials.
Cancer remains one of the most pressing global health challenges, claiming 10 million lives each year with devastating effects on family members and loved ones, and placing immense strain on healthcare systems across the world. As Nelson Mandela once said, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” This report, Advancing Global Health Equity: Expanding the U.S.-Australia Cancer Alliance Toward an Asia-Pacific Collaborative to Save Millions of Lives, embodies that spirit of perseverance and global cooperation, offering a roadmap toward equitable cancer care through international collaboration.
This report is the second in our series on Advancing Global Health Equity for the Cure4Cancer. It builds on the framework of international collaboration and regulatory harmonization on clinical trials as described in our first report, and uses new Australian initiatives as a case study. The U.S.-Australia partnership, grounded in an innovative concept of the hub-and-spoke network model of clinical trials and access to precision oncology, demonstrates how collaboration may transcend borders to overcome disparities in cancer care and prevention to help patients in diverse communities. This report empha- sizes the power of sharing knowledge, regulatory harmonization, and inclusion of diverse populations to ensure that scientific advances reach all those in need, regardless of geographic, racial-ethnic, or economic barriers.
Drawing from the strength of this partnership, this report calls for the simultaneous expansion of mul- tilateral collaboration across the Asia-Pacific, a region that represents the world’s largest and fastest growing economy, and where cancer care disparities are vast. It is this spirit of collective action and mutual learning that will drive the future through advancing global health equity. We invite policy- makers, healthcare leaders, and researchers across public and private sectors globally to join this vital mission to ensure access to innovative life-saving treatments and prevention are expanded to all com- munities, which would in turn stimulate economic development and accelerate the cure for cancer— eliminating it as a cause of death—for all of humanity.
