Advanced Breast Cancer Global Alliance COVID-19 SURVEY

The survey has been a joint initiative by the Advanced Breast Cancer Global Alliance, the World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition, the Lymphoma Coalition, the World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition and the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition. The aim was to quantify the impact of COVID-19 on cancer patient organisations around the world, and the patients you all serve with the aim to create a set of common messages about the importance of our organisations and the vital role you have been playing, but also to highlight the challenges faced in the current climate together with good and innovative practice. Responses were received from 157 member organisations located in 56 countries. Most of the responses came from the USA (28 responses) followed by Australia (10), and then Canada, Italy, and the UK (8 each). The report has now been published on the ABC Alliance website in the Covid-19 and Cancer page.
 
Taking into consideration the results of the survey, the ABC Alliance has also united with 7 other global cancer coalitions and alliances, representing 650 patient advocacy and other cancer organizations and the interests of over 14 million patients around the world, to create a Statement to call for a global plan of action for cancer to meet the challenges of future pandemics or health crises. It is important both at a global and national level to work together to ensure that we regain the ground that has been lost to the COVID-19 pandemic and one of the key messages is to encourage those who are living with cancer to continue treatment and those with concerns about symptoms to visit their primary health care providers as soon as possible.