As part of our ongoing efforts to eliminate lung cancer as a cause of death worldwide, we are delighted to announce the latest 12 projects selected to receive grants from Initiatives in Lung Cancer Care (ILC²), a global funding programme led by the Lung Ambition Alliance. This year, selected recipients include innovative projects that will help remove transportation barriers preventing rural patients from accessing treatment; seek to counteract misinformation about cancer and cancer care; and help increase lung cancer screening rates among vulnerable populations, among other critical services that will now be supported by ILC² grants.

Mika Sovak, Vice President, Global Franchise Head, Lung Cancer at AstraZeneca, said: “As ever, we have been humbled to receive a great number of entries from a diverse representation of the lung cancer patient advocacy community. Year on year, the volume and quality of submissions increases, reflecting the sustained efforts of our sector to transform patient care and improve the patient experience. While this makes the selection process more challenging, I am confident we have chosen the initiatives best positioned to deliver measurable change for those who need it most.”

Now in its fourth year, ILC² supports charitable and non-profit services that address gaps in lung cancer service delivery. Currently, patient outcomes vary greatly across countries, with five-year survival rates ranging from approximately 3% to 33% worldwide¹, underscoring the ongoing need for the ILC² initiative. This year, grants totalling over $75,000 are being awarded, and for the first time, all the selected projects are from countries outside of the US and Europe.

Since the programme first launched in 2020, more than $2.8 million has been allocated across 25 countries to address various points along the patient journey. Applications are assessed against several criteria, including their ambition, scope, impact, and potential for scaling or replication.

Commenting on the entries, Dr Jesme Fox, Secretary, Global Lung Cancer Coalition, said: “ILC² aims to accelerate progress in front-line lung cancer care by supporting regional, patient-centric projects that demonstrate innovation, fresh-thinking and the potential for meaningful change. This year’s awardees have each pledged to address different areas of unmet need, but they are unified by a common passion to help patients and their loved ones. I look forward to seeing what they achieve, and to learning from their successes.”

David LeDuc, Director, Oncology Patient Affairs at AstraZeneca, added: “We are proud to support such a geographically diverse range of initiatives, each of which will deliver vital on-the-ground support to patients and their caregivers. While the Lung Ambition Alliance’s long-term aim is to eliminate lung cancer as a cause of death, the ILC² programme allows us to invest in projects that can make a tangible difference to the lung cancer community here and now.”

This year’s awardees are^*:

Organisation: Campaigning for Cancer
Project Title: Fika Phila Travel To Treatment
Country: South Africa
Overview: This project aims to remove transportation barriers to care. It would enable partnering treatment facilities to order essential transport services to and from treatments for patients and transport non-emergency cases between facilities – at a subsidised cost for the patient.

Organisation: Hope Foundation for Cancer Care
Project Title: Using Exercise Interventions To Increase Quality Of Life Of Lung Cancer Survivors
Country: Taiwan
Overview: The goal of this project is to establish a model of comprehensive cancer care, especially through exercise interventions to improve quality of life for people with lung cancer in Taiwan.

Organisation: Institute for Respiratory Health (INC)
Project Title: Improving Lung Cancer Care: The Lung Cancer Clinical Quality Data Platform (LUCAP)
Country: Australia
Overview: The LUCAP project aims to address the major area of unmet need in people with lung cancer with a focus on equal access and tackling the postcode lottery. This would be done through implementing an innovative clinical quality data platform that would enable near real-time data collection and analysis, identifying evidence-practice gaps, improving transparency, and facilitating quality improvement initiatives to ensure equitable, guideline-concordant service delivery.

Organisation: Instituto Camaleão
Project Title: Lung Cancer: Mental Health Matters
Country: Brazil
Overview: The project aims to explore the quality and life expectancy of patients with lung cancer and to reduce the impact of the disease on their caregivers, through establishing two online psychotherapeutic groups - one for patients and another for caregivers.

Organisation: Lung Foundation Australia
Project Title: Nursing Care For Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander People Living With/Impacted By Lung Cancer
Country: Australia
Overview: This project sets out to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ participation in the National Targeted Lung Cancer Screening Programme. To do that, there is a need for inclusive practice within those communities, in particular given the considerable barriers they face, such as racial discrimination and poor access to health/hospital care.

Organisation: Mathiwos Wondu - YeEthiopia Cancer Society
Project Title: Strengthening Multidisciplinary Team (MDT For) Lung Cancer Care With Digital Technologies To Improve Quality
Country: Ethiopia
Overview: The project intends to improve the clinical care of lung cancer patients with the MDT. It will use the same technologies to also provide psychosocial support and adherence counselling for patients and their caregivers; aiming to improve overall case review, diagnosis and treatment.

Organisation: Rwanda Palliative Care and Hospice Organisation
Project Title: Networking And Support Of People With Lung Cancer In Rwanda
Country: Rwanda
Overview: Lack of psychosocial support among lung cancer patients and their families has been identified as a big barrier to a fair lung cancer care system in Rwanda. To address this issue, the project will establish the first-ever lung cancer association in the country to support people with lung disease, and focus on improving conditions for chronic lung disease as well as lung cancer.

Organisation: Cancer Warriors Foundation
Project Title: Together Against Lung Cancer
Country: Philippines
Overview: By helping to inform and support the localization of the National Integrated Cancer Control Act, this project aims to set up an integrated and interconnected service delivery model for more effective and responsive lung cancer patient care.

Organisation: Fundacion Peruana De Cancer
Project Title: Sepa, Educational Services For Cancer Prevention And Patient Support
Country: Peru
Overview: This project aims to educate the general public, specifically vulnerable and at-risk populations, about cancer prevention and to provide diagnosis guidance to reduce deaths due to misinformation and late diagnosis. It will also provide patients and caregivers with emotional support and guidance in navigating the health system throughout their treatment and care.

Organisation: Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association
Project Title: Consolidating Collective Hope And Quality Of Life For Lung Cancer Patients (Phase 2)
Country: Kenya
Overview: The project aims to consolidate strategies to improve the quality of life for people living with or who are at risk of lung cancer in Kenya by building increased HCP capacity, strengthening local advocacy and building a best practice sharing model.

Organisation: Salvati, A.C.
Project Title: Reference Network For Lung Cancer
Country: Mexico
Overview: This programme aims to develop an actualization course in pulmonary cancer for first-contact doctors to provide theoretical and practical information to help close the existing gap for patients in different health institutions.

Organisation: Zambia Medical Association (ZMA)
Project Title: I Can't Breathe - Advocacy For Early Diagnosis And Treatment Of Lung Cancer
Country: Zambia
Overview: The project aims to raise awareness of the current lung cancer landscape in Zambia to health providers and policymakers to improve outcomes through increased investments in imaging, bronchoscope, and accurate histology. More specifically, the project will highlight the existing gaps in the diagnosis and management of lung cancer to policymakers, increase patient advocacy, train healthcare workers in the provision of bronchoscopy and improve the provision of palliative care among lung cancer patients.

*This list is accurate and complete as of February 2023, subject to verification.