Shaping the year ahead: Moving forward together for bladder cancer

The start of a new year offers a moment to pause, reflect, and look ahead. At the World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition, we begin this year with a strong sense of purpose and a shared ambition: to continue improving the lives of people affected by bladder cancer and those who support them, wherever they live.

Rather than focusing on change for its own sake, the year ahead is about building on what already connects us: collaboration, lived experience, and collective action. Every step forward is stronger when it is taken together.

Our focus for the year ahead

Our work continues to be guided by three interconnected priorities that shape everything we do:

Strengthening our global community

We aim to continue growing and connecting bladder cancer patient organisations worldwide, encouraging collaboration, peer learning, and mutual support. Creating meaningful spaces, both online and in person, allows patients, carers, and advocates to share experiences, learn from one another, and feel less alone. Through meetings, forums, and community activities, we work to ensure that patient voices remain central and connected.

Raising awareness across borders

Awareness remains essential to improving outcomes. By supporting patients to share their stories and experiences, we help bring greater visibility to what it means to live with bladder cancer. Alongside this, we continue developing global awareness campaigns and building partnerships that extend our reach. Our goal is to ensure that bladder cancer receives the attention it deserves, among the public, healthcare professionals, and decision-makers alike.

Advancing patient-centred advocacy

Advocacy remains at the heart of our mission. We continue working to ensure that patient perspectives inform research priorities, policy discussions, and healthcare decisions. Our efforts focus on improving access to quality, patient-centred care, supporting innovation, and promoting initiatives that enhance quality of life for patients and families.

How you can be part of the year ahead

Progress is made through collective effort. Even small actions can have a meaningful impact when they are shared across a community.

You might choose to:

• Take part in Bladder Cancer Awareness Month by sharing campaigns, supporting activities, or organising a local initiative
• Help establish or support a bladder cancer patient group in your community
• Talk to others about our work and encourage them to engage
• Contribute ideas, expertise, or experiences to our growing resource hub
• Share your personal story to help inform, support, and inspire others

• Follow and share our work on social media to help extend our reach

Every contribution, large or small, helps move us closer to a future where no one faces bladder cancer alone.

To learn more about how to get involved, visit our website.
If you have questions or are looking for information or support, you can contact us at patients@worldbladdercancer.org.

Together, we continue shaping the year ahead: informed, connected, and driven by patient voices.