—Mei Ching Ong, Region Head for Asia Pacific
Asia Pacific is a region with rich diversity – from its culture, languages, and lifestyles to healthcare systems. Today, we see many countries with advanced medical facilities, and yet, many that do not have basic diagnostic capacities or treatment options available. Many patients are required to travel many miles and hours to a distant center for help.
The Max Foundation’s vision for Asia Pacific is to bring treatment access and support to all of the countries in Asia Pacific in order to help people living with cancer throughout Asia Pacific. Our efforts range from working with governments, industries, healthcare practitioners, advocates, and patient groups to individual patients and community members.
We have seen how sharing best practices with our partners – especially among advocates in the region – has resulted in tremendous impact within local communities. By working hand-in-hand with key stakeholders invested in the process, we yield positive results and get closer to our goal.
Our team is committed to strengthening our partnerships, educating communities, and broadening access to treatment and support for all people living with cancer in Asia Pacific.
The patient workshop in Malaysia are organized by the Max Malaysia team, in partnership with Max Family Society Malaysia – the patient support arm of The Max Foundation in Malaysia. Key opinion leaders and physicians in hematology and oncology always participate in patient workshops – attending the workshop, spending their time with the patients, and contributing their expertise by addressing questions from patients and caregivers.
In Malaysia, patient workshops include disease education by physicians, training on non-disease topics such as on exercise and nutrition, and creating networking opportunities among all participants.
Through partnering with key physicians as well as the patient community and supporters, we aim to increase disease awareness, how it’s treated, and the importance of monitoring with the goal of contributing to better compliance rates and better treatment outcome within these disease areas.
The workshops also aim to allow greater connection between patients to share coping mechanism on living with cancer.
Starting 2016, our team in the Philippines will bring CML patient education workshops in other region besides Metro Manila, in partnership with Touched by Max, the local patient support group.
Peer-to-peer support and disease education are core components of The Max Foundation’s work in Thailand. To this end, monthly patient support workshops for people living with chronic diseases are hosted by The Max Foundation in partnership with local physicians and MaxSmiles, the patient support arm of The Max Foundation in Thailand.
These gatherings provide a valuable opportunity to build community for people facing cancer in Bangkok. Hematologists often attend these meetings to provide education and support. Due to the success of the Bangkok patient support workshops, the meeting has expanded to the regions of Chiang Mai in northwestern Thailand and Udonthaniin northeastern Thailand.