In celebration of National Cancer Survivors Day, AstraZeneca, a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company, on 27 June 2019, announced the launch of the ‘Cancer Can Give’ movement aimed at empowering cancer survivors to make a difference in society. With support from Singapore Cancer Society, ‘Cancer Can Give’ aids cancer survivors in giving across three pillars – the Gift of Help that addresses pressing societal needs such as Singapore’s ageing population, the Gift of Knowledge that imparts skills to the young and young at heart, and the Gift of Sustainability to reduce the human impact on the environment. 

For the Gift of Help, AstraZeneca will be joining forces with Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities, a non-profit voluntary welfare organisation, to conduct interactive programmes for their beneficiaries that include at-risk and vulnerable elderly living in rental flats. For the Gift of Knowledge, Gladiolus Place, a non-profit, residential home for teenage girls, will be partnering with AstraZeneca to create a tutorship-mentorship programme that equips the young with soft and hard skills for the future. For the Gift of Sustainability, Waterways Watch Society, an independent volunteer group that fosters care and inspires stewardship for the environment, will be collaborating with AstraZeneca to devise a programme that promotes public awareness of conserving Singapore’s water resources while encouraging good social behaviour, translating into reduced pollution of the environment.

“AstraZeneca believes in the holistic transformation of lives beyond medical treatment by positively impacting the entire patient journey and ‘Cancer Can Give’ is designed to do just that,” said Mr How Ti Hwei, Country President, AstraZeneca Singapore. “This movement is a celebration of life by redefining what it means to live with cancer, empowering cancer survivors to make a meaningful impact in society and through that, inspire communities across all walks of life. We are deeply grateful to all our partners who have come on board this journey with us to make a difference in society, and we look forward to growing this movement even more.” 

In addition to launching ‘Cancer Can Give’, AstraZeneca and Singapore Cancer Society have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further strengthen efforts to jointly improve the quality of lives for people impacted by cancer. Under this partnership, the two organisations will embark on initiatives together for the next three years to provide greater care beyond treatment to cancer patients and provide programmes that better support their psychosocial and financial needs. AstraZeneca will also collaborate with Singapore Cancer Society on public education and outreach efforts especially for women’s gynaecological cancers, breast cancer, lung cancer, and prostate cancer. 

“Singapore Cancer Society strives to Serve More and Serve Better by providing a comprehensive scope of programmes and services that strives to reduce cancer incidences, improve survival rates and improve quality of lives for those impacted by cancer. This partnership with AstraZeneca demonstrates our vision of minimising cancer and maximising lives by galvanising the community to drive great change together so that no one needs to fight cancer alone,” said Mr Albert Ching, CEO, Singapore Cancer Society. “Our cancer survivors are already sources of inspiration to many during their cancer journey, and we are excited to see them share their story to inspire the rest of society.”

The ‘Cancer Can Give’ mural, representing hope, support and the coming together of a community, was unveiled at the event. The mural features colourful handprints and uplifting words of encouragement by cancer survivors, as well as three central figures which symbolise the teaming up of public and private organisations that are embarking on the ‘Cancer Can Give’ movement together. The ‘Cancer Can Give’ mural will be displayed at the Singapore Cancer Society Rehabilitation Centre.