The journey of life-saving oncology medication
Delivering cancer medication safely to hospitals and clinics around the world that lack access can be a lifeline for patients and lifts a significant burden off the oncology staff who treat them, but it is a complex process to make this happen. This World Cancer Day, we wanted to give you a glimpse of what it takes behind the scenes to get these life-saving treatments into the hands of patients who need them most.
Making cancer treatment accessible is a hugely important part of our work. It is vital to ensure that patients have the best chance to fight back against their cancer and go on to live life to the fullest. We provide over 25 types of oncology medication, including medicines to support patients during chemotherapy, such as anti-sickness and anti-viral medication.
The process of sending a shipment of oncology medication globally is more complex than most other medical shipments. Using the specialist knowledge of our logistics team, each shipment is carefully managed and thought through. Here is an insight into the process:
Without access to the right medicine and supplies, conditions that are entirely treatable can quickly become life-threatening. Cancer patients can be especially sensitive to treatment delays. Interruptions to treatment cycles due to a lack of access to necessary medicines or chemotherapy can put them at severe risk of their condition rapidly worsening. With the cost of a course of oncology treatment being so high, getting access to medication is often out of reach for many patients who need it the most.
IHP has supported over 10,400 cancer patients in 15 countries around the world with access to their treatments.
When my chemotherapy ends, I just want to live life to the fullest. I am feeling well, and this is thanks to the donation of Bortezomib.
– Bekim, a cancer patient living in Kosovo –
Once these cancer treatments arrive safely at the hospital or clinic, they can be used straight away to treat patients. One such location is Kosovo, where IHP partners with Project HOPE, providing medications such as Bortezomib to treat myelomas, lymphomas, leukaemia, breast, bladder and prostate cancers, as well as treatments to prevent nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery.
Bekim who lives in Kosovo shared how receiving this medication has impacted his life:
“I live 8 km South of Pristina in a small village. I used to teach Agricultural Engineering...at the moment, I grow fruit trees and sell them so others can enjoy the fruits. I have a wife, 2 sons and 1 daughter. I am also a grandfather to 3 grandsons.
At the end of last year, I kept feeling tired and people kept telling me I looked pale. I went to my local GP who carried out some tests and found low levels of haemoglobin and abnormally high levels of white blood cells in my blood. I was referred to this tertiary hospital in Pristina as this is the central place for all oncology and haematology care. It was here that I was first diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in December 2022. When I heard this news, I felt uncomfortable. I just didn’t expect that kind of news. It took me some time to come to terms with my diagnosis, but then I just focussed on getting better. I needed to have Bortezomib as chemotherapy.
Normally, this medicine is not available in Kosovo, and I would need to pay for it privately. Thanks to the donation of this medicine, I was able to receive my treatment free of charge. If I had to pay for this medicine every month, this would have been a significant financial burden for me, especially given that I am not teaching anymore and I am unable to carry out much physical manual labour these days. Today, I am feeling much better. My haemoglobin levels are improving [and] my energy has improved. For medical reasons, I was unable to receive a blood transfusion to improve blood cell levels, so amazingly, this has improved thanks to the treatment of Bortezomib.
I was so amazed by the care I received. All the clinical staff are so knowledgeable and kind. The level of care I have received has been amazing. Please continue to donate Bortezomib as this is going to people who really cannot afford to buy these themselves. Thank you for providing this medicine to me and others in my situation. It has been a weight off my shoulders.
When my chemotherapy ends, I just want to live life to the fullest. I am feeling well, and this is thanks to the donation of Bortezomib.”
Continuous, reliable sources of cancer medication are essential for ensuring that patients like Bekim in low-and middle-income countries can complete their full cycle of treatment and have the possibility of entering remission. Your support will mean a higher quality of life and stability for cancer patients.
Please join us in helping these disadvantaged cancer patients get proper treatment. Click here to donate towards our work.
Help us deliver access to medicine all year round
Join our giving community and help us transform the health outlook of families every single month.
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See how your donation makes a difference
£5 can help us to give 15 people treatment
£20 will provide 16 children with antibiotics
£100 will provide 83 pregnant women with life saving medicine.
£450 will provide am emergency medical kit to 60 families.
Whatever you give, you could be making a life-changing, even life-saving difference to someone every month.
See how your donation makes a difference
£5 is enough to source and send £600 worth of medical supplies a year to people in need; enough to help approximately 50 people around the world.
£10 is enough to source and send £1,200 worth of medical supplies a year to people in need; enough to help approximately 100 people around the world.
£25 is enough to provide around 750 treatments in a year, helping approximately 250 people in need; and for some, is the difference between life & death.
£100 is enough to provide medicines and supplies for approximately 1,000 people a year living in disaster-hit and vulnerable communites.
Whatever you give, you could be making a life-changing, even life-saving difference to someone every month.
Help us deliver access to medicine all year round
From fundraising to delivering medicines, you can also support our vital work in other ways.
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Fox Court, 14 Gray's Inn Road,
London, WC1X 8HN
United Kingdom
Fox Court, 14 Gray's Inn Road,
London, WC1X 8HN
United Kingdom
