Posts by author
Marwa Koçak
Voices from Gaza: caught between conflict and cancer
In every conflict, it is the most vulnerable who suffer the most. The great majority of Gaza’s population of two million now live in terrible conditions, with poor sanitation, limited access to clean water, infectious diseases rife and precarious access…
Patients in Turkey sue for reimbursement as the price of cancer drugs escalates
[stampo_standfirst] An acute financial and economic crisis in Turkey has led to the value of the Turkish Lira plunging and domestic inflation soaring, reaching almost 70% in March. The resulting price surge in imported cancer drugs is hitting cancer patients…
From stigma to strategy: Egypt’s journey in combating cervical cancer
Before 2021, there was little official focus on cervical cancer in Egypt. The World Health Organization's 2021 report indicated that fewer than 1 in 10 Egyptian women had been screened for cervical cancer in the previous five years. That was…
‘Fragile’ cancer patients hit by Turkish earthquake need urgent support
Hakan Büyükhatipoğlu was at home with his family in Gaziantep at 4.17 in the morning of 6th February when the earthquake struck. The epicentre of that first quake was less than 40 km from the city. Less than 12 hours…
HPV vaccination set to be rolled out across Turkey… with controversial exclusions
Turkey’s minister of health announced on 24th November that the government is planning to start an HPV vaccine rollout. “We will start vaccination with a designated group and gradually expand its scope,” said health minister Fahrettin Koca in a speech at…
Tackling cancer when there’s no functioning state: the Al-Amal model
Six years ago, Mada accompanied her daughter to the gynaecologist for an early pregnancy scan. Whilst she was there, the physician suggested Mada herself get a check-up. “The doctor at first thought I had a very large cyst on my…