The Global Fight Against Cancer

American Cancer Society Sponsors Plenary Session on Cancer Control Advocacy on Final Day of AORTIC Conference

On November 14, the final day of the AORTIC Conference in Tanzania, the American Cancer Society sponsored a plenary session about cancer control advocacy that focused on making the disease a global health priority. Ann McMikel, strategic director, Planning and Operations, American Cancer Society, served as one of the co-chairs for the plenary session and introduced the session, along with Seth Ayettey, MD, PhD, professor of Anatomy, University of Ghana. Johanna Ralston, vice president, Global Strategies and managing director, International Affairs, American Cancer Society, addressed advocacy related to cervical cancer screening and prevention. Claire Neal, senior director of Mission, Lance Armstrong Foundation, talked about engaging advocates to make cancer a global priority. Anso Thom, a journalist with the South African health news Web site Health-e and American Cancer Society journalist fellow, spoke about engaging the media to raise cancer awareness. Earlier in the day, American Cancer Society Chief Medical Officer Otis Brawley, MD, participated in a panel discussion with leaders from other global health organizations about the importance of international collaboration for cancer control in Africa.

American Cancer Society Holds Training for Latin American Tobacco Control Advocates in Mexico City

Participants at the American Cancer Society tobacco control workshop held prior to the 2nd SRNT – IAHF Latin American Conference on Tobacco Control in Mexico City.

The American Cancer Society held a workshop October 13-14 in Mexico City for 15 Latin American tobacco control advocates who have attended previous training programs provided by the Society. The workshop, titled Building and Sustaining Relationships with Companies for Smoke-free Success, was held in conjunction with the second Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) – InterAmerican Heart Foundation (IAHF) Latin American Conference on Tobacco Control. This workshop served as a follow-up to the American Cancer Society University (ACSU) training program held in August 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts, where the topic of smoke-free worksites was introduced. At the October workshop, participants shared their experiences with smoke-free worksites since the 2008 training. It was standing room only at the October event as the participants were joined by 11 speakers who were previously scheduled to speak, as well as 14 special guests, from the Mexican Ministry of Health, companies, and other organizations, who asked to join in because of their interest in the subject. Speakers included representatives from nongovernmental organizations in Latin America, the Mexican Ministry of Health, the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico (INSP), the Mexican Institute for Family and Population Research (IMIFAP), and multi-national companies, including DuPont, GE, and Pfizer. In lively discussions with the participants, all of the speakers shared useful resources that the participants can use in their ongoing engagement with companies in Latin America. Those speakers representing companies presented their organizations’ perspectives toward – and initiatives around – workplace wellness. 

American Cancer Society Convenes 24 Journalists in Tanzania for Media Summit to Address Africa Cancer and Tobacco Burden

On the first full day of the American Cancer Society Media Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 24 journalists from eight African countries engaged in discussions with experts from the Society and other global cancer and tobacco control organizations on the emerging threats of cancer and tobacco use in Africa. The Media Summit is generously supported by Oracle and the Canadian Cancer Society. Two American Cancer Society staff, Thomas Glynn, PhD, director, Cancer Science and Trends and director, International Cancer Control; and Evan Blecher, economist, International Tobacco Control Research, joined other tobacco control experts in making presentations on tobacco use and control in Africa, including Tosin Orogun, programme manager, African Tobacco Control Regional Initiative (ATCRI); Sverre Berg Lutnaes, senior advisor, International Affairs, Norwegian Cancer Society; and Lutgard Kagaruki, Tanzania Tobacco Control Forum. Cancer survivor Samantha Galliet, director, Campaigning for Cancer based in South Africa, and Haskell Ward, a representative of SEACOMM and an advisor to the Society, talked about the importance of survivor stories and advocacy in raising awareness about cancer. In group exercises, the journalists discussed with cancer and tobacco control experts the impact of various cancer and tobacco myths commonly heard on the continent and shared information that could be used to debunk these myths through media stories. In the evening, a panel of cancer control experts spoke with journalists about the challenges and opportunities involved with Africa’s growing cancer burden. The panel discussion was moderated by Otis Brawley, MD, chief medical officer, American Cancer Society, and included these other cancer control experts: Twalib Ngoma, MD, president of AORTIC and executive director, Ocean Road Cancer Institute, Tanzania; Lynette Denny, secretary treasurer of AORTIC and professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Olufunmilayo Olopade, MD, FACP, professor of medicine and human genetics and director, Cancer Risk Clinic, University of Chicago Medical Center; and Serigne Gueye, professor of urology, University of Cheikh Anta Diop and head of urology, Hospital General de Grand Yoff, Senegal.

American Cancer Society Staff Serve as Judges in First Tobacco Control Journalism Contest in Guatemala

 
Volunteers with Una Voz contra el Cáncer (One Voice Against Cancer) join some of the award winners at the Guatemala tobacco control journalism contest.

The American Cancer Society recently evaluated the work of Guatemalan journalists as part of the first tobacco control journalism contest to be held in the country. American Cancer Society staff Thomas Glynn, PhD, director, Cancer Science and Trends and director, International Cancer Control, and Catherine Jo, manager, International Tobacco Control, served as judges for Guatemala Libre de Tabaco 2009 (Guatemala Tobacco Free 2009). The event was organized by Una Voz contra el Cáncer (One Voice Against Cancer), a Guatemalan cancer and tobacco control group and American Cancer Society grantee. About 40 journalists and members of civil society organizations were in attendance, including members of leading Guatemalan media outlets and representatives from the Pan American Health Organization and United Nations Population Fund. Three awards were given for excellence by Guatemalan journalists in the categories of TV, radio, and written media. The cancer control group organized this event to show the importance of the media in building public awareness of tobacco control and other health issues in Guatemala.
 

American Cancer Society Media Awareness Workshop on Tobacco Control in Vietnam Concludes in Ho Chi Minh City

 Participants in the Media Awareness Workshop for a Smoke-free Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City

On September 19, the American Cancer Society convened about 50 journalists in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for the second and final part of the Media Awareness Workshop for a Smoke-free Vietnam. This event, organized by the Society and the Vietnam Steering Committee on Smoking and Health (VINACOSH), followed the successful first part of the media workshop, held earlier last month in Hanoi. American Cancer Society experts shared experiences on writing news stories on tobacco control and other health-related topics. The experts described ways in which journalists can capture the reader’s attention and improve health awareness, especially related to tobacco use. Speakers from the Ho Chi Minh School of Public Health, National Youth Newspaper, and Ho Chi Minh Health Services Department shared their success stories on smoke-free policies in the workplace. Vietnamese journalists came away from the workshop with more knowledge on the impact of tobacco use and vowed to disseminate more information on tobacco control to the public. According to the World Health Organization, each year approximately $786 million is spent on cigarettes and 40,000 people die due to smoking-related illnesses in Vietnam.

 

American Cancer Society Marks Second Year of the 'Travaillons sans fumée' (Smoke-free at Work) Program in North Africa

Youth tobacco control leaders with banners signed by locals in Sousse, Tunisia. The banners were used as part of a public awareness action to garner support for smoke-free workplaces in Tunisia and Algeria.

American Cancer Society staff convened 10 nongovernmental organization (NGO) representatives and 22 youth advocates from Algeria and Tunisia for a training program on communications and media relations April 20-22 in Sousse, Tunisia. This training marked the start of the second year of the Travaillons sans fumée (Smoke-free at Work) program, supported by the American Cancer Society. Travaillons sans fumée is a program supporting the efforts of more than 30 workplaces in Tunisia and Algeria to become smoke-free and protect the health of their employees. During the training program, the NGO representatives and youth advocates had the opportunity to share their media and communication experiences and learn new communication skills they can put into practice as future spokespersons for the program. Participants analyzed media coverage from recent campaigns for smoke-free laws, took part in mock interviews with a local reporter, and developed key messages they can use to inform the public about the importance of smoke-free workplaces. The NGO representatives held round table discussions with representatives of companies in Tunisia and Algeria that have gone smoke-free, while the youth advocates conducted a public activity in which they discussed the benefits of smoke-free areas with locals and asked them to show their support by signing banners. In conjunction with the training, a session was held at which print, radio, and TV journalists from Tunisia and Algeria met with international and local tobacco control experts to discuss the media’s role in providing tobacco control information to the public.  

Dr. Judith Mackay Receives BMJ Lifetime Achievement Award

 Dr. Judith L.  Mackay recipient of BMJ Lifetime Achievement Award

The American Cancer Society congratulates Dr. Judith L. Mackay for receiving the BMJ Lifetime Achievement award for her contribution to the fight against tobacco across the world. The BMJ Group Awards, held in association with The Health Foundation, recognize and celebrate excellence in health care around the globe. BMJ is an international peer reviewed medical journal. The ceremony, held in London, was attended by some of the world’s most influential leaders in health care. Dr. Mackay is co-author of the recently released third edition of The Tobacco Atlas, a critical resource produced by the American Cancer Society and World Lung Foundation that graphically depicts the devastating impact tobacco has on an international level. Dr. Mackay serves as senior advisor to the World Lung Foundation and as senior policy advisor to the World Health Organization. She is also a recipient of the American Cancer Society's Luther Terry award for Outstanding Individual Leadership. As a leader in the battle to control tobacco, she was once described by the tobacco industry as "one of the three most dangerous people in the world."

American Cancer Society Prepares for 2009 Activities in Africa and Asia

 Loyce Pace Bass, director of Regional Programs, Suteera Nagavajara, lead manager of Asia Programs and staff members of Hope Society for Cancer Care in Taiwan

 In November 2008, an investigative team consisting of staff members and consultants from the American Cancer Society and lead investigator Professor K. Viswanath of the Harvard School of Public Health visited Nigeria and South Africa to research the public perception of cancer-related messages and to identify barriers and opportunities for promoting cancer information. These visits were preparatory activities for the Africa Cancer Information and Advocacy Initiative, an Oracle-funded initiative which aims to improve awareness of cancer in five African countries: Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania. Research conducted during these visits included interviews with key opinion leaders, interactions with focus groups, and meetings with civil society representatives, health care providers, the media, and government officials in each country. Information obtained from these visits will help inform training, grants, and advocacy opportunities for cancer control organizations in Africa. In addition to these activities in Africa, American Cancer Society staff members travelled to Asia in December of 2008. Loyce Pace Bass, director of Regional Programs, and Suteera Nagavajara, lead manager of Asia Programs, visited Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Manila, Taipei, and Bangkok to meet with consultants and partners for the Asia Regional Cancer Control Program. The trip marked the second year of the Pfizer-funded initiative, which intends to build the capacity of cancer control organizations in five Asian countries. The American Cancer Society will continue to offer seed grants and trainings that will enable Asian partners to improve information and advocacy for early detection and patient support.

American Cancer Society Launches Quitline® Program in India

On December 9, the American Cancer Society launched its Quitline® program in India, becoming the first provider of a tobacco cessation counseling service in India. Quitline is a free, clinically proven, telephone-based counseling program that provides counseling and pharmacological services to people who want to quit smoking. The American Cancer Society is partnering with multinational employers operating in India to make this service available to their employees. The introduction of the Quitline program is critically important in India, where as much as one-third of the population smokes tobacco and many more use an array of smokeless tobacco products. Tobacco use is the leading cause of cancer in India. On October 2, India implemented a nationwide smoke-free law, making this a critical time for employers in India to offer Quitline services to their workers. For more information on the American Cancer Society’s Quitline services for multinational employers, please visit http://www.acsworkplacesolutions.com/

 

American Cancer Society President Raises Awareness of Cancer Issues in Mexico

 
Elmer E. Huerta, MD, MPH, president of the American Cancer Society, being interviewed by the newspaper El Universal in Mexico

Elmer E. Huerta, MD, MPH, president of the American Cancer Society, and Alessandra Durstine, director of Latin America cancer programs for the Society, visited Mexico on March 14 to raise awareness of INFOCANCER, the first ever Mexican patient navigation and information program, supported by the American Cancer Society and under the auspices of the Mexican National Cancer Institute (INCan). The program provides information to patients through a Web site, a toll-free phone number, and walk-in assistance. Since the program launched on February 4, the walk-in center has received more than 250 visitors. Dr. Huerta also attended the launch of the US-Mexican Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research and met with US first lady Laura Bush and Mexican first lady Margarita Zavala. During the event, representatives of INCan and CIM*AB (the leading Mexican breast cancer nongovernmental organization (NGO) and an American Cancer Society grantee) recognized the American Cancer Society for its support of cancer NGOs and mammography programs in Mexico. The event, which drew attendance of about 600 people, received extensive coverage in the Mexican media. Dr. Huerta gave several interviews to leading Mexican radio, newspaper, and television outlets.