Malawi’s Judith Foundation joins the WBCPC community

We are delighted to welcome Judith Foundation, a charity organisation based in Malawi to the World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition.  Since 2010, the organisation’s focus is on helping the world’s most vulnerable communities, to overcome poverty and health challenges for the best quality of life.

Judith Foundation’s mission is to contribute towards the creation of an environment where vulnerable children, youths, women, and elderly are empowered as well as restored in all aspects of their lives and are self-reliant but also actively taking part in society. They focus on the most pressing health challenges in Malawi, and raise awareness about both bladder cancer and cervical cancer, particularly when engaging with community members.

Bladder cancer is the 7^th most frequently diagnosed cancer in Malawi.[1] More commonly, cancer affects younger patients in Malawi and the 5-year survival rate for people affected by cancer is estimated at 9%.[2]Malawi ranks as 3^rd globally in bladder cancer mortality in women according to the Global Cancer Observatory data of the World Health Organisation.

Improvement of early detection, especially through awareness and education, as well as improvement of diagnostic and supportive care services may improve outcomes and survival for people affected by bladder cancer and organisations such as Judith Foundation together with many local stakeholders working in collaboration have an important role.

Judith Foundation joins our Coalition as an affiliate member on a unique journey. Committed to building up capacity to educate communities in Malawi to increase knowledge of bladder cancer, associated risk factors and signs of bladder cancer to look out for. The World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition will work closely with the organisation to develop their bladder cancer support capabilities, to support with informational resources and facilitate connections with bladder cancer patient advocates and clinical experts from around the world.

We encourage bladder cancer patients, carers, families and advocates to join together to improve support, information and care for people affected by bladder cancer in their communities. This is why we have developed the Start-up guide for bladder cancer patient groups – a step-by-step guide and source of direct inspiration from our members for those ready to start a patient support group in their country.

If you have any questions, would like to learn more, join our coalition or start your own bladder cancer patient group, email us at info@worldbladdercancer.org

You can find out more about Judith Foundation here.

[1] World Health Organization (WHO). International Agency for Research on Cancer. Country Profile 2020: Malawi.

[2] Msyamboza, K.P. et al. (2014) ‘Cancer survival in Malawi : A retrospective cohort study’, Pan African Medical Journal, 19. doi:10.11604/pamj.2014.19.234.4675.