Inspire2Live Annual Congress 2022

Julian Savulescu: ‘To delay the development of a treatment that cures a lethal disease that kills 100.000 people per year is to be responsible for the deaths of those 100.000 people, even if you never seen them.’

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all parts of the world. Solutions to the pandemic, such as vaccines, have, however, become available above all for the richer countries.

The West has been reluctant to make the vaccines available at low cost for economically less powerful countries. Although it seems logical that the West first takes care of its own problems, it also shows a lack of solidarity and a consciousness of global interconnectedness: we can’t do well if other countries don’t. In cancer research and care, we witness similar processes.

The number of resources available for western countries is unparalleled compared to those in other parts of the world. So, it seems that cancer is much better treated than elsewhere. At the same time, the West is suffering from inhibitory prosperity. Because of regulation, the potential to improvise is lost. At the same time, in Africa, Latin America and Asia, access to excellent care is less taken for granted.

Paradoxically, precisely in the global South unexpected ways of research and care have been developed that might be insightful for the West. In a way, the absence of means spurs the quality of being attentive to what might work. So, there is an openness to the unexpected. In a way, in the absence of means, that give an illusion of control, the quality of being attentive to what might work, is present. Even if it means applying an n=1 approach to that patient’s treatment and going beyond the randomized control trial constraints. Inspire2Live is successful in all parts of the world. From Australia to South America, we have hubs with patient advocates and scholar activists.

The Inspire2Live network is strong, and many initiatives are taken or inspired by us. But we do far too little and not good enough. If we execute what we know, we can even improve the percentage of success. Probably, we could reach over 70%. There is a need to learn from each other as a global community, so that the best approach is taken for each patient, irrespective of where that person lives.

To that end, Inspire2Live designed and implements BUCS; Bottom-Up Cancer Support. Four Ps are crucial:

• Have a big focus on Prevention. 50% of all cancers can be prevented
• When you suffer from cancer at least take care of a good Performance: physicians and patients should act wise and skillful
• When suffering from Pain, have good pain-management
• And when there is Potential in something unexpected, use it

Everyone can afford it. This Annual Congress highlights the innovative practices in all continents. The key questions that we will ask: ‘What are the qualities of innovative practices in the represented countries that bear a learning for other countries?’ and ‘What can the different countries in the world contribute to each other and how can they make each other flourish to strengthen their capacities?’ We are complementary to each other. To make it work, we need an attitude of Reciprocity. That is the keyword of the 2022 Inspire2Live Annual Congress.

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