EHA endorses the International COVID-19 Blood Cancer Coalition (ICBCC) Statement
On February 21, the COVID-19 Blood Cancer Coalition (ICBCC), a multi-stakeholder coalition including representatives from the global patient advocacy and clinical community, launched its Joint Patient Impact Statement and Recommendations for protecting immunocompromised blood cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since its publication, the Statement, which aims to support lobbying for the provision of anti‑COVID‑19 treatment and care for immunocompromised or immunosuppressed blood cancer patients (both acute and chronic) in different countries, has been endorsed by patient advocacy organizations and networks, as well as medical societies and representatives from the global clinical community.
This statement is just one of the deliveries of this important initiative. Next steps include agreeing on a lobbying strategy (in progress) and developing a global campaign, toolkit and materials to help raise awareness of the vulnerability and needs of the blood cancer community around COVID-19 prevention and treatment.
EHA has proudly agreed to join the initiative and endorse the statement (see news here).
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic EHA has been standing by hematology professionals and patients, offering resources, webinars and expert opinions on vaccines and on the management of hematologic patients during the pandemic, and supporting COVID-19 hematology research, with grants and support to data collection projects, such as EPICOVIDEHA.
For more information on ICBCC, please visit the website of the CLL Advocates Network (CLLAN), which is acting as secretariat on behalf of the coalition:
https://www.clladvocates.net/program/international-covid-19-blood-cancer-coalition-icbcc/