New Initiative to Improve Lives of Prostate Cancer Sufferers
23 March 2012 at 4:29 pm
A new initiative to assist in the collaboration of organisations focussed on improving the lives of men living with prostate cancer has been established.
The Australian Survivorship Action Partnership (ASAP) will be funded by Not for Profit men’s health organisation Movember Foundation with support from its partner organisation, beyondblue, committing a total of $6.25 million to the initiative.
The Movember Foundation says that the initiative will work to establish a network of organisations which will develop evidence based practical solutions to improving the lives of prostate cancer sufferers that can be applied from a local to a national level.
Movember’s executive director of programs, Paul Villanti, said that they were “extremely proud” of the establishment of the ASAP initiative.
“Movember’s strategic goals challenge us to improve the quality of life for men living with prostate cancer from diagnosis onwards,” Villanti said.
“We have set ourselves some ambitious goals in achieving results over the coming years.”
Movember says it has committed $5 million over three years to ASAP, and that the figure represents its most significant investment in survivorship programs to date.
Over the past 12 months, Movember says it has worked closely with beyondblue, the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, prostate cancer survivors and other leading stakeholders to identify survivorship challenges men face.
Movember’s chief operating officer, Jason Hincks, said: “Many of the physical and mental challenges faced by men with prostate cancer are complex and finding new solutions requires fresh models of collaboration, bringing together key capabilities across clinical and care disciplines.”
A key unmet need, according to Movember, relates to the anxiety and depression often experienced by those affected by prostate cancer. As a result, Movember says its men’s health partner, beyondblue, has come on board to financially support the initiative.
beyondblue’s acting chief executive, Clare Shann, said the organisation was pleased to be working with Movember.
“Research suggests that both men with prostate cancer and their partners experience higher rates of depression and anxiety than people in the general community,” Shann said.
“We believe the $1.25 million dollar investment is a worthwhile contribution to a very important mental health project.”
The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, chief executive, Dr Anthony Lowe, welcomed the establishment of ASAP.
“There’s no doubt that the solutions developed by the network will improve outcomes for men living with prostate cancer, their families and carers,” Lowe said.
