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ACTIVE SINCE: 2016

Patient Support Programme in Egypt

This initiative is a comprehensive patient support programme designed to provide financial support through free medicine doses, diagnostic tests and emotional support for women with breast cancer In Egypt.
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MEMBER COMPANIES:
Local NGOs 1
Technology 1
Telecoms 1
Objectives

The Patient Support Programme aims to improve access to life-saving treatments for women with HER2 positive breast cancer. This comprehensive patient support programme was designed to:

  • Provide financial support through free medicine doses and diagnostic tests for women with breast cancer
  • Support patient education
  • Provide dosage reminders and advice to ensure the full course of treatment is taken
  • Provide emotional support through the PAG CanSurvive individualized life coaching and group therapy sessions to patients

What are the health needs and challenges?

Breast cancer is the number one killer cancer in Egypt killing about 7,200 women every year. The disease burden of breast cancer in Egypt is steadily increasing. According to the National Cancer Institute, the disease accounts to as much as 35% of all cancer cases treated at the institution. If detected early, 95 per cent of breast cancer can be cured. However, in Egypt recovery rates remain alarmingly low due to female-related taboos and patriarchal values that hinder the detection and diagnose of the fatal disease.

Egypt has one of the lowest GDP Per Capita in the Middle East and healthcare budgets are stretched. This means that the innovative targeted therapies for breast cancer are not available in the public healthcare system. Women have to pay for treatment themselves which is impossible for most of them.

Partnership activities and how they address needs and challenge

The  Patient Support Program (PSP) in Egypt was introduced in June 2016 and is designed to improve access to innovative treatment for women with breast cancer.

Budget constraints in the public healthcare system have meant that Perjeta (Pertuzumab), a treatment for HER2 positive breast cancer patients, is currently only available for patients in the private sector. The program is designed to serve out of pocket patients through patient support program. There is no eligibility criteria to include patients, except for the fact that the patient needs to purchase the drug by herself – not by a hospital or center. This ensures that the offer/ benefit is given to the patient only and not to a hospital or private insurance company. Once the patient is enrolled into the program, she gets a membership card and vouchers for testing. Once she completes purchasing two vials (two cycles), she get one free vial (third cycle).

When designing the PSP Roche recognized that several systemic hurdles, including cultural aspects, capacity issues (i.e. the limited time each doctor has for each patient) and testing/diagnostic capabilities need to be addressed. For this reason, Roche works closely with CanSurvive Egypt to give emotional and individual life coaching support to patients and to provide them with tools for self-advocacy.  We also work closely with Cairo Scan Lab to provide patients with free screening and diagnostic tests.

Geographic Reach
  • Eastern Mediterranean
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Disease Area
  • Non-communicable diseases
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Target Population
  • Women
Partner organizations
Local NGOs
Can Survive
Egypt

Providing emotional support by conducting group therapy sessions and individual life coach sessions for cancer patients. Only oncology patient support group in Egypt.

Technology
Cairo Scan
Lab

Providing patients with free screening and diagnostic tests.

Telecoms
Raya Call
Center

Managing patient registration, hospital appointments and medicine dosage reminder.

Additional resources