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APPIS INNOVATOR PROGRAM 2023
Our 2023 Program at a glance
31
Entries
16
Countries and territories
5
Finalists
3
Winners
An esteemed expert panel of judges selected the three winners from a shortlist of five finalists. The winners will receive support to help them scale and improve their existing programs in the form of mentoring, networking opportunities, funding, and coaching.
Siriraj Center of Research Excellent in Neuromuscular Disease (SiCORE NMD) (Thailand):
The Siriraj Center of Research Excellence in Neuromuscular Disease (SiCORE NMD)’s mission is to build patient capability and foster stronger relationships within Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patient groups and between neuromuscular disease organizations.
Through the APPIS partnership, its goal was to widen the accessibility and awareness of newborn screening for neuromuscular diseases through its ‘Neuromuscular-Get-Trophy’ program. The program exceeded its KPIs, including the participation of 15 families in neuromuscular day activities, capability-building for six patient advocate leaders and the delivery of six disease awareness workshops aimed at patients and the general public. A key outcome was also a positive meeting between the SMA Thailand Group and The National Health Security Office, a critical stakeholder in local policy-shaping, to discuss collaborative efforts in raising awareness, conducting newborn screening and other relevant initiatives.
Through this program, SiCORE NMD has increased the physical and emotional wellbeing of patients and caregivers and boosted their advocacy skills, while also empowering the patient community to be involved in shaping health policies that address the needs of SMA in Taiwan.
For information, visit https://www.si.mahidol.ac.th/th/division/SiNMD
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Cancer Association of South Africa (South Africa)
The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) enables research, educates the public and advocates and supports people in South Africa living with cancer.
Through the APPIS Innovator Program, CANSA expanded the breadth and depth of its virtual Telecounselling Program, established in 2020 to provide critical support to cancer patients and caregivers across South Africa.
As a result of the program, two social workers were recruited and trained to deliver the program in two additional languages (Sesotho and Siswati), the number of Telecounselling beneficiaries increased by 5% and CANSA achieved a 10% increase in program awareness. This is benefiting previously underserved South African communities.
The Telecounseling service has had a profound impact on the cancer community, with patients and caregivers reporting that they feel less isolated, more supported and better equipped to navigate their cancer journey. With the program’s success, CANSA is well positioned to expand the reach of the program beyond South Africa.
For information, visit www.cansa.org.za
HOPE Foundation for Cancer Care (Taiwan)
The goal of HOPE Foundation for Cancer Care is to develop health education messages for leukemia patients, to help make information more accurate, relevant and accessible.
The APPIS Innovator Program has supported the HOPE Foundation to ensure the delivery of relevant, personalized and quality disease information to patients. To tackle the challenge faced of seeking reliable medical information online, three educational videos and three podcast episodes were produced to address misconceptions and provide accurate information about cancer.
The popularity of local social media platform, LINE, was leveraged to seamlessly deliver personalized disease information to patients based on their personal needs and interests, and minimize their time spent searching for relevant information. The videos received +235,000 impressions, the podcasts received +1,100 downloads, friend count increased by 34% and the push content received a satisfaction rate of 78%, reinforcing its relevance to the audience and effectiveness.
For information, visit http://www.ecancer.org.tw
Read more about how APPIS has partnered with our 2022 winners here.