Cancer in developing nations has largely gone unnoticed and unaddressed. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 500,000 people in Sub-Saharan Africa died of cancer last year – which exceeds the death toll from malaria globally. Despite this need, only about 10% of people with cancer receive access to treatment and pain relief in Sub-Saharan Africa. A poorly operating oncology market means cancer drugs are overpriced, often of poor quality, and frequently missing from pharmacies’ shelves. Patients with cancer are spending their life savings to receive chemotherapy, but the harsh reality is, it’s not prolonging their lives nor easing their suffering.
Last fall, IBM Health Corps, the American Cancer Society, and Clinton Health Access Initiative partnered together to build the world’s first chemotherapy forecasting tool, called “ChemoQuant.” In just three weeks, the technology and cancer experts created a web-based tool that will allow ministries of health to build accurate demand forecasts, which gives them the data they need to be attractive to drug manufacturers and negotiate price reductions of medicines. With the roll out of this free software this spring, ministries of health are poised to realize significant chemotherapy cost achievements in the near future.
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IBM Health Corps is an IBM global philanthropic program committed to reducing health disparities. Akin to an incubator, IBM Health Corps creates the environment, and provides the experts and services needed to nurture new ideas in public and population health that use technology to improve health systems and outcomes. The grant includes a multidisciplinary, multicultural team of 6 IBM experts working on-site with a grantee organization for 3 weeks in order to empower and equip the organization to take forward a mission-driven strategic priority.
To learn more about Health Corps, please visit: www.ibmhealthcorps.org
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