ESMO Expands Globally with New Patient Advocates Working Group
ESMO is proud to announce the launch of its newly globalised Patient Advocates Working Group (PAWG), now led by Zorana Maravic as Chair. This milestone marks a significant step towards strengthening patient advocacy worldwide.
Comprising 12 representatives from patient advocacy organisations across Europe, Asia/Pacific, North America, Latin America, and Africa, the group will collaborate with the ESMO Director of Public Policy to address key challenges cancer patients face and shape a comprehensive global patient strategy. Their collective efforts will drive tangible improvements in cancer care delivery worldwide.
“Uniting patient advocates from diverse regions fosters stronger connections, allowing for the exchange of valuable insights that shape a truly global approach to patient advocacy,” says ESMO Director of Public Policy Jean-Yves Blay. “This collaboration enhances our ability to develop impactful strategies that address the global cancer burden, ultimately benefiting patients and caregivers.”
Zorana Maravic, CEO of Digestive Cancers Europe (DiCE) and Chair of the ESMO PAWG, underscores the importance of a global advocacy network: “A worldwide patient advocates group is vital to amplifying the voices of those affected by cancer, ensuring access to early diagnosis, treatment, and care. Cross-border collaboration drives policy change, accelerates research, and empowers patients to influence healthcare systems that genuinely meet their needs.”
The ESMO Patient Advocacy Working Group (PAWG) is expanding globally after the first ESMO Patient Engagement Summit in December 2024 at the ESMO Asia Congress in Singapore. Patient advocates from the Asia-Pacific region came together to discuss challenges in cancer care. The global expansion of PAWG aims to improve collaboration between doctors and patients, ensuring better access to diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, quality of life, and patient involvement in research.
“It is crucial to recognise the significance of a global patient advocacy group as an essential force that strengthens oncology expertise,” says Ranjit Kaur Pritam Singh, Co-chair of the ESMO Patient Engagement Summit and member of ESMO PAWG. “When patient advocates, clinicians, and policymakers work together, we enhance patient outcomes, improve clinical research conditions, and develop policies that align with the evolving global landscape.”
Read more about the ESMO PAWG.
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