New partner: introducing Inspire2Live

The patient’s voice

“We are here to make sure that the patient’s voice is taken into account in decision-making,” says Schelle. “As patient representatives, we know better than anyone what really matters in practical terms when you have cancer. With that knowledge, we strive to make research, policy and care more relevant and effective for patients.”

To achieve this, Inspire2Live brings together patients, doctors, researchers, industry and policymakers from around the world. Schelle says that it is precisely this collaboration that Inspire2Live’s added value lies. “All stakeholders in healthcare need one another in order to make progress. We add value because we bring something that other parties do not have: a different perspective, lived experience and system knowledge.”

Key priorities

Inspire2Live now has 54 countries affiliated worldwide. The organisation is currently working on a wide range of issues, from policy change to access to innovative treatments. In the Netherlands, for example, the organisation is drawing attention to the long period between the European approval of a medicine and patients actually being able to access it. According to Schelle, this waiting time can amount to some 500 days. “While patients need treatment now.”

Inspire2Live is also committed to improving awareness about dense breast tissue, so that women better understand what a mammogram can and cannot show. Internationally, there are initiatives like HPV vaccination in Nigeria and the “Right to be forgotten” in Chile, so that people who have survived cancer are not permanently disadvantaged when, for example, taking out insurance or buying a home. Inspire2Live is also working to improve access to innovative therapies such as CAR T-cell therapy.

At the table from the very beginning

What connects all these examples is the conviction that patients should not only be heard when an initiative has started, but should participate from the very beginning. This is a clear ambition for the coming years: to ensure that patients are structurally involved in everything related to cancer. From research and the construction of hospitals, to policy and implementation. Schelle says: “This is not just a matter of representation. We know and understand how patients feel. As patient representatives, we know what issues truly matter.”

Schelle gives pancreatic cancer as an example. “For many patients, relieving pain can already make the difference between dropping out or still being able to take part in a clinical trial. We can advise a researcher to make sure pain relief is provided. That is what we can bring, because we know and understand how patients feel.”

Connecting and sharing knowledge

Through the Global Health Hub Netherlands, the organisation hopes to build new relationships. By making visible what Inspire2Live can offer, while at the same time discovering what the network can provide in return. “We can connect partners effectively with patient representatives and networks in other countries. We can also share knowledge about how healthcare works in other contexts and how local connections can be established.” At the same time, Inspire2Live actively looks to participate in discussions on policy and regulation within the network, and opportunities to simplify processes around innovation and access to care.

What motivates Schelle every day is knowing that she is genuinely helping people. She reflects on the organisation’s annual congress, which was held at the end of March 2026. “It gives me so much joy to bring together patient representatives from dozens of countries. They are often people who run their own foundations. At a congress like this, I see how important it is for them to be among like-minded people. That gives them the strength and courage to continue their fight for the patient. Especially in countries with different cultures, where cancer is often tied to social exclusion, that is of great significance.”

Interesting fact: Inspire2Live is run entirely by volunteers. People who, driven by experience and commitment, continue to work towards making care for cancer patients worldwide more humane, fairer and better. All GHH partners warmly welcome Inspire2Live to the network.