“She always has a lot of dedication to her work, she is always available to remove doubt from both doctors 
and patients”.

It is clear that Flavia is very respected in her field. Tenacity is a word that is often used to describe her, and her commitment is always at the highest level.

Since 2012, Access to Healthcare has fought with Argentina’s Ostomy Association to continuously develop the Argentinean ostomy law – to provide better care and better access to products and treatment for people with a stoma.

Due to a persistent, joint effort, the ostomy guidelines in Argentina have now improved, enabling advisors like Flavia to assist and train doctors and nurses who are not experts in ostomy – to ensure that patients are brought back to a position where they can live the life they want.

For Flavia herself, it’s really quite simple. As she puts it, “The idea of helping people is what motivates me. We can help people to continue with their lifestyle.”

Rafael was a professional soccer player until he was 20 years old. Then, he hit his head on the sandbar and became tetraplegic. After a while he became an athlete participating in wheelchair rugby, and after talking to other athletes, he discovered that he could do catheterisation clean and that he could do it alone.

He saw Coloplast products for the first time in the US in connection with a competition and tried SpeediCath^® for the first time during this competition. According to Rafael, it changed his life.

“Before, I had lots of urinary infections, every 3 months. I was out of training and competition and my quality of life was affected. I was often hospitalised and that affected my family life as well.”

Rafael was able to find the help that he needed through Access to Healthcare. The AtH programme, in partnership with the Brazilian Society of Urology, has worked hard to produce updated national guidelines for continence care with a focus on shifting the standard of care from indwelling to coated intermittent catheters like SpeediCath^®. The results have been a changed mindset towards coated intermittent catheters through well-received guidelines provided to more than 500 urologists from 26 different municipalities in Brazil.

For Rafael, there is only one way: forward.

“My message is: Do not give up, do clean catheterisation – this can change your life as it changed mine. Now I'm happy and living well with quality of life.”

To make real changes, you must raise your voice. For the past 20 years, Makoto Ohama, founder of Japan Spinal Cord Foundation, has been fighting for better care for catheter users in Japan.

In 2016, the Japanese healthcare authorities decided to improve reimbursement for intermittent catheters after Makoto Omaha and the Access to Healthcare programme had advocated for better rights for years. This represents a breakthrough in the Japanese market for Coloplast, who will have an easier time offering the newest and best catheters to people living with incontinence in Japan.

“Medical and social care and systems for Japanese spinal cord injured people are extremely inadequate,” says Makoto Ohama. “SCI patients have limited access to the latest information about products. In order to open up the prospect of healing of spinal cord injury and establishing a comprehensive system, the establishment of the "Japan Spinal Cord Foundation" is absolutely necessary. So, I really want to share this information. This was my main motivation for starting this project.”

Japan generally has an advanced and very modern healthcare system, and with improved reimbursement in place, the monthly supplement per catheter user will increase with more than 50%. There are close to 100,000 people in Japan living with incontinence who need a catheter and they will now have access to better and more modern products.

Mr. Feng has no problem accepting that he is a diabetic. However, the foot ulcer that has pained him as a consequence of his diabetic condition is something that he is glad to have treated.
“Well, diabetes isn't terrible, but a diabetic foot ulcer is truly awful. The pain, in particular, made me sleepless at night. During the day, I was crying out all the time. The physical pain I was in and the mental suffering that came along with it even made people feel anxious to have the foot cut off.”

Both Mr. Feng and his doctors are very pleased about the training programme, which has brought wound care in the country to a new level. Dr. Yuan Baozhong is one of those who is happy about things these days.

“With the experience that comes with the training, we have made improvements in multi-disciplinary cooperation, individuality-concerned treatment and personalised treatment, and selected wound dressings in a more diversified way.”

Access to Healthcare has supported the China Programme of Training and Education on the Treatment of Diabetic Foot and Relevant Chronic Wounds from 2010 to 2015. During the execution of the Programme, wound centres in China witnessed considerable development, benefiting over 4,900 patients with diabetic feet in cumulative term.

“Sometimes, the disease made me unquiet and caused trouble to others. Neighbouring patients were irritated with me. The torment brought by the disease is virtually unspeakable. Thanks to Doctor Wang's treatment, my wounds gradually got better and I experienced less pain. I don't have trouble eating and sleeping anymore. I’m also in a way more relaxed mood. I feel very good!”