The Win-Win scientific initiative was proposed by Prof. Ahmed Elzawawy in December 2007, as an initiative of ICEDOC’s Experts in Cancer Without Borders. It aims to increase the affordability of better-value cancer treatment in the world by exploring scientific approaches.
Patients and their families come first, but the business of pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers of radiotherapy machines and medical devices can also flourish, without ruining the economy of a country or an individual. No one has to lose.
Two wings
- Exploring scientific approaches to increase the affordability of better-value cancer care. This includes cost-effective, resource-sparing treatment and, more importantly, better-value cancer control and care for patients everywhere.
- Catalyst action and professional advice to greatly increase the rate at which clinical oncology services are established, starting with the hardest challenges in Africa. Proposed in November 2015 and declared on 29 April 2016 at the Harvard Catalyst Summit.
From initiative to movement
On 29 April 2016 the initiative joined the Harvard Global Health Catalyst and became the Harvard Global Health Catalyst Win-Win Initiative (director: Prof. Wilfred Ngwa, Harvard Medical School). It kept that name until the end of May 2019.
Since then, with faculty from institutes in the USA, Europe, Africa, South America and South Asia, it has become the Global Health Catalyst Win-Win Movement, or simply the Win-Win movement. Its executive director is Prof. Wilfred Ngwa (Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Johns Hopkins University).
With partners and advisers, the movement is now developing “The smart win-win global deal for cancer care”, inspired by the win-win notions and the book Approaching Global Oncology.
What we are, and what we are not
We are professional consultants and volunteer catalysts. We are not a funding body. We do not compete with or replace any society, organization, governmental or private effort, or individual. We are facilitators and a forum for all, complementing and completing, encouraging everyone to connect, communicate and collaborate with one focus: increasing the affordability of better-value cancer care for underserved patients.
The forum is needed. Despite current international and national efforts, organizations, declarations, conferences and publications, the gap between the cancer care the world needs and the care that is available keeps growing.
