As part of their ongoing commitment to breast cancer patients and their caregivers, Novartis has partnered with Baheya Foundation to provide a voice for breast cancer patients.
Launched with the advent of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Waraha Kessa campaign shares the transformational journeys of women affected by breast cancer, turning the fear associated with diagnosis into hope for the future.
Supported by Egyptian celebrities and influencers, the campaign quickly went viral and is just the latest among many initiatives Novartis continues to launch along its 30-year journey in support of breast cancer patients in Egypt and around the world.
The campaign brings into focus the stories of six unique women who have faced breast cancer, highlighting that with hope and faith, even the most challenging moments can be overcome. Beyond its ambition to inspire hope and stem some of the cultural taboos around discussing breast cancer and screening, the campaign also highlights the promising progress science has made in treating this cancer over the last decade.
Laila Salem — a member of Baheya Foundation’s Board of Trustees and Baheya’s granddaughter — stated that art has always been the soft power that can influence society and effectively address many of its issues.
For her part, CEO of Baheya Foundation Jaylan Ahmed voiced her joy regarding the outpouring of support for the campaign, with many public figures taking part in it.
Breast cancer has always been a top priority for Novartis, as it continues to lead the industry with the largest number of breast cancer compounds for HR+ advanced breast cancer, which is the most common form of the disease.
Accounting for almost 32.4% of diagnosed female cancer cases, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer to affect women in Egypt.
Over the years Novartis has established itself as a leader in breast cancer therapy innovation, with a particular focus on patient support for breast cancer in the metastatic stage, which accounts for approximately 20% of breast cancer cases in the country.
“We are passionately focused on reimagining a world where breast cancer can be managed and outlived,” said Mohamed Sabry — Value and Access Head at Novartis Egypt.
“At the heart of this is early diagnosis and education. A phenomenal amount of work to support and empower better health for women has taken place in recent years and it is a testament to the impressive work of the Egyptian government, the Ministry of Health and Population and of course important NGOs like Baheya Foundation that we have reached this point.”
Novartis bolsters its commitment to breast cancer patients through partnerships with governmental and community entities, offering innovative patient support programmes helping patients with advanced breast cancer through their treatment journey. Novartis also works with the government, medical professionals, and treatment centres to facilitate continuous knowledge sharing.
Working closely with health ministry professionals under the presidential initiative for women’s health — which has introduced unified innovative protocols expanding access to treatment — Novartis upskills healthcare professionals by providing medical updates, developing early screening protocols, and is planning to collaborate in facilitating the national registry for cancer patients in Egypt and the development of oncology centres of excellence.
Within its collaborative programmes — which are driven by its commitment to patients and caregivers — Novartis also supports Baheya’s healthcare professionals.
“Continuous education for doctors, nurses, and pharmacists is critical to ensuring the best patient outcomes,” Sabry explained.
“By providing regular briefings and sharing the latest medical updates on the breast cancer landscape, we will work with the foundation to improve patient survival rates delivering on our mission to improve and extend patients’ lives.”
