Creating the Vision
APOA Hackathon
In August 2024, Rare Cancers Australia (RCA) and the APOA leadership brought together 42 amazing multidisciplinary leaders (lived experience, clinical, research, government, industry, data/innovation) from 12 countries for the APOA Hackathon to develop the vision and goals of the organisation.
It was a fast-paced two-day event which covered topics including:
- The case for change and why the APAC region is so important
- Systems change and how to drive sustainable societal change
- Case studies of positive examples in the region
- The APOA framework and options to implement in the region
- Exploration of top ideas and implementation considerations
Emerging Themes
- The recognition that there was real value in bringing people together (in person) to talk about system level challenges and shared priorities across silos.
- Value to society, tangible/measurable impact and returns on investment for improving cancer survivorship were important concepts to assess and communicate
- There is a need for more opportunities to share knowledge, projects and data and to be more strategic, aligned and avoid duplication (reinventing the wheel).
- Building trusted relationships and sharing power will be important for positive collaborations.
- There are many opportunities to better engage and support people with lived experience of cancer, across the cancer continuum.