Participants at the WHO/IAEA meeting in Egypt
The American Cancer Society delivered key presentations on cancer control at a recent Coordination and Planning meeting with member African states of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The meeting, which was held June 21-23, 2009, in Cairo, Egypt, highlighted the growing cancer threat in the African region and focused on strategies and approaches for advancing a broad range of cancer control, prevention, and treatment activities. The meeting also addressed cancer economics, education, and advocacy as tools to raise cancer awareness and build cancer control capacity. The meeting was facilitated by experts from the American Cancer Society, WHO, IAEA, International Union Against Cancer (UICC), International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research (INCTR), and the IAEA Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT) partner organizations from 14 African countries, including Tanzania, Senegal, Egypt, Uganda, and Ghana. The American Cancer Society presented information on cancer as a competing health priority, advocacy, and private sector partnerships and was represented by Haskell Ward of SEACOMM, who has worked on African development and policy for more than 45 years, and Ann McMikel, strategic director of Planning and Operations. The meeting provided participants with resources to support and promote comprehensive cancer capacity need assessments and national cancer strategic planning via collaboration with IAEA, WHO, and other partners under the PACT umbrella. The American Cancer Society also participated in a parallel WHO/IAEA meeting for Asia-Pacific stakeholders held in Vienna, Austria. The meeting included China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and several Middle Eastern countries. Loyce Pace Bass, director of Regional Programs, American Cancer Society, gave a presentation on the Society’s engagements in Southeast Asia funded by Pfizer Foundation and Pfizer, Inc., as well as American Cancer Society programs in India and Greater China. She was joined by regional expert and longtime American Cancer Society partner Tata Memorial Centre. Click on the following link to hear Bass discussing global cancer control issues on the IAEA PACT Web site.
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