Launched in January 2017, Access Accelerated is a partnership of over 20 biopharmaceutical companies, including Celgene, developing innovative and sustainable solutions to improve access to treatment and care for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) —such as cancer—in low- and middle-income countries.
The vision for Access Accelerated is a future where no one dies prematurely from treatable, preventable diseases and where all people living with, or at risk of, NCDs have access to appropriate, quality, and affordable prevention, treatment and care. NCDs have emerged as a significant public health threat, accounting for 38 million deaths a year and 70 percent of all deaths globally.
Access Accelerated moved toward its vision in year one by registering 62 programs operating in 88 countries. Programs were geographically clustered in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. Two-thirds of programs addressed cancer, and diabetes and cardiovascular disease were a focus in a number of them. Celgene is proud to be a member of Access Accelerated, and two of our key programs highlighted are the AMPATH Oncology Partnership and Celgene Cancer Care Links.
In March 2017, Access Accelerated and the Kenyan Ministry of Health hosted a conference in Nairobi, Kenya, that brought together representatives from patient groups, civil society, government, and the private sector to discuss the specific challenges of addressing NCDs such as cancer in Kenya, as well as current and potential sustainable solutions.
Zeba Khan, Ph.D., Celgene Vice President of Corporate Responsibility, participated in a panel discussion on Engaging Across Sectors and Disciplines to Address NCDs. The panel included patients, healthcare professionals, biopharmaceutical companies, non-profit organizations and Kenya's Ministry of Health. In the discussion following the panel, several participants noted the need for a complementary approach to addressing NCDs, and emphasized how organizations across all parts of the healthcare sector — private and public, large and small — can help in the fight against NCDs, in Kenya and elsewhere, by working together.
This type of collaboration is the aim of Celgene's partnership with AMPATH Oncology. Through this partnership, the first and only multiple myeloma program in Kenya was created to educate patients and healthcare professionals. Through continuing education programs for oncologists, the partnership has helped to improve diagnostics so that patients are more likely to get accurate diagnoses and, consequently, earlier interventions when warranted.
Click here to download the Access Accelerated Year One Report.
More information about Access Accelerated can be found here.