The Global Fight Against Cancer

The American Cancer Society Joins African Ministers of Health in Global Effort to Fight Non-communicable Diseases

Brazzaville, Congo — In an effort to address the growing global burden of cancer and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the American Cancer Society is joining technical experts and Ministers of Health in Africa for a meeting in Brazzaville, Congo this week. The gathering marks the first African regional consultation on NCDs under the World Health Organization (WHO) to discuss Africa's response to the growing burden of NCDs including cancer, diabetes, respiratory disease, and heart diseases. According to the WHO, NCDs claim more than 35 million lives each year and account for roughly 60 percent of all deaths worldwide, with a disproportionate number of fatalities occurring in developing countries. 

The Brazzaville consultation will yield a regional NCD declaration to contribute to proceedings of the First Global Ministerial Meeting on Healthy Lifestyle and NCDs control scheduled for 28-29 April in Moscow, and the UN High-level Meeting on NCDs in New York City from 19-20 September 2011. At the New York summit, the UN will address cancer and other chronic diseases for the first time as part of a larger policy that recognizes the global NCD burden and outlines a clear plan of action for governments, the UN system, civil society, and development stakeholders. 

 

 

The American Cancer Society writes about the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases in InterAction's monthly magazine

In an article that appears in the December 2010 issue of  Interaction’s Monday Developments magazine, the American Cancer Society challenges the widely held assumption that noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) , which include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, respiratory disease, and cancer, are wealthy countries’ diseases and do not constitute a threat for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The piece, titled “Time to Transform Global Health: Incorporating noncommunicable diseases into global public health efforts,” presents current scientific evidence on the global epidemiological transition and changing burden of diseases and highlights the discrepancy between the growing burden of NCDs and the actual low prioritization of this issue on the global health and development agenda. Outlining the objectives of the September 2011 UN High-level Meeting on NCDs, the article stresses the importance of a commitment on behalf of heads of states toward the prevention and control of these diseases.

InterAction is an organization that acts as an alliance between about 200 US-based NGOs working in the field of global poverty relief and encourages collaboration on tackling global challenges from different perspectives. Their monthly magazine, Monday Developments, features information about InterAction’s members, as well as in-depth news and commentary on global trends that affect relief, refugee, and development work.

To read the article, please click on this link to visit the American Cancer Society’s Global Health Web site.

American Cancer Society Supports COMESAMA, the Mexican Coalition for Breast Health

 
Participants in the launch of COMESAMA

 

COMESAMA, a Mexican coalition for breast health, was launched by 15 Mexican nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) on September 30 in Mexico City. The American Cancer Society is a member of the coalition and an active supporter of the advocacy efforts of founding NGO Fundación CIM*AB. Maria Elena Maza, regional consultant of the American Cancer Society in Mexico and a provider of technical assistance to Fundación CIM*AB, spoke at the event about the importance of patient-led advocacy efforts. Dr Alejandro Mohar, director of the Mexican National Cancer Institute, was also present at the COMESAMA launch. Approximately 20 media representatives were present, including TV, print, and online. COMESAMA is an advocacy coalition aimed at decreasing breast cancer mortality in Mexico. The organization aims to dialogue with decision makers; bring awareness to people affected by breast cancer; generate proposals to improve breast cancer control; raise the public profile of breast cancer issues; and increase access to early detection services. The advocacy areas of action for COMESAMA are: increase access to quality treatment and screening; increase service coverage and free breast health care; increase human and material resources; and earmark funds for breast cancer, guideline revision, and certification of radiology services. COMESAMA is also part of the Latin American breast cancer advocacy coalition, LATINAMAMA, which is a regional initiative led by the American Cancer Society.         

 

Society Joins Brazil NGO and Carolina Herrera for Breast Cancer Awareness

From left to right: Andrea Natal, a breast cancer survivor; Carolina Herrera, fashion designer; Dr. Maria Caleffi, FEMAMA; and Alessandra Durstine, vice president of regional programs at the American Cancer Society, at the launch of the "Pink October" event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

On Tuesday, October 5, the American Cancer Society joined our collaborating partners, the Brazilian breast cancer coalition (FEMAMA), to launch their "Pink October" event to raise breast cancer awareness in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The theme of the event was "without investment, breast cancer has no cure." To celebrate the launch, fashion designer Carolina Herrera dedicated profits from her perfume 212 for breast cancer programs in Brazil. Alessandra Durstine, vice president of regional programs for the Society’s global health department, joined Herrera and Dr. Maria Caleffi of FEMAMA to speak at the event, which attracted more than 50 journalists. Following the launch, survivors from Brazil participated in a parade outside of Renner department store in Rio de Janeiro. During the evening, the Society joined FEMAMA and Brazil's minister of health to light Brazil’s famous Cristo Redentor statue in pink.

American Cancer Society Holds Media Training in Vietnam, Focused on Bans on Tobacco Advertisements and Sponsorship

 
Some of the participants in the September 21 media training in Vietnam

 

On September 21, leading journalists from the cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam participated in the third American Cancer Society advanced training for the Vietnamese media. This event was sponsored, in part, by Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. Tobacco control experts from the Ho Chi Minh Health Services Department and VINACOSH, a Vietnamese tobacco control nongovernmental organization, spoke about the difficulties of implementing the bans on tobacco advertising and sponsorship, and the need for journalists to take a greater stance on implementing the law. Charles Smith, an attorney and board member for the California Division of the American Cancer Society, spoke about his work on implementing tobacco control laws in the United States and the important role journalists play in keeping tobacco companies accountable.

 

During the training, the journalists visited various public areas in Vietnam (i.e. restaurants, coffee shops, hotels, etc.) and interviewed people regarding their awareness of the bans on tobacco advertisements and sponsorship. These journalists were then encouraged to use this information to develop articles for publication to their press outlets.

 

ACS Vietnam Manager Tuyet Ha-Iaconis and her team have been providing hands-on training and feedback to Vietnamese journalists for over a year to help develop their skills and provide them with international opportunities to expand their knowledge base. During this fellowship, ACS selected three outstanding journalists to attend the Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health (APACT) Conference in Sydney, Australia.

 

To learn more about these journalists and their work, please visit the Vietnam Fellowship Blog site (blog is in the Vietnamese language): http://vnmediaantismoking.blogspot.com/

 

 

The American Cancer Society Announced Tobacco Control Commitment at Clinton Global Initiative

This week during the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting in New York City, American Cancer Society CEO Dr. John Seffrin announced the Society's "commitment" to the global cancer crisis through our efforts to prevent a tobacco pandemic in Sub-Saharan Africa. As a member of the Clinton Global Health Initiative, Seffrin was asked to speak during a special session titled "Addressing Cancer in the Developing World: Health Equity and an Overlooked Public Health Crisis." He said the Society is addressing the global cancer crisis through our work in the Africa Tobacco Control Consortium, a multi-partner program that advocates for the creation of smoke-free places, strict tobacco control policies, and increased tobacco taxes in Sub-Saharan Africa. This standing-room-only cancer session included many dignitaries and was moderated by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's chief medical correspondent. Panelists included Lance Armstrong; Dr. Paul Farmer, co-founder, Partners in Health; Dr. Felicia Knaul, director, Harvard Global Equity Initiative; Her Royal Highness Princess Dina Mired, director general, King Hussein Cancer Foundation; and Dr. Charles-Patrick Almazor, director, Public Sector Partnership.

American Cancer Society Co-sponsors Tobacco Control Workshop at United Nations Conference in Melbourne, Australia

The 63rd United Nations Annual Department of Public Information / Non-Governmental Organizations (UN DPI/NGO) Conference was held from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1, 2010, in Melbourne, Australia. The theme of the conference was “Advance Global Health: Achieve the MDGs” (MDGs are the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals). The meeting was a great success, with over 350 NGOs and 1600 individuals attending. The NCD Alliance supported five workshops during this conference, one of which, Overcoming Barriers to Achieving the MDGs: Tackling Tobacco Use and Non-Communicable Diseases, was sponsored by the World Lung Foundation, and cosponsored by the American Cancer Society, The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Union for International Cancer Control, World Heart Federation, and Framework Convention Alliance. During this workshop, Rachel Kitonyo, Chair of the Africa Tobacco Control Alliance, made a presentation on the issue of tobacco control in Africa. Sir George Alleyne, distinguished scholar and currently serving as the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean, delivered a wonderful speech during the closing ceremony, emphasizing the need to address the growing burden of NCDs (http://www.viostream.com/un/). 

 

NCDs, including cancer, are now included in the final declaration from the conference that was presented to the UN Secretary General. This declaration states that “Millions of people die prematurely of non communicable diseases, as well as TB, malaria and complications of AIDS every year" and also calls the international community “to ensure governments respect and implement existing international covenants and agreements that will make major improvements to health such as the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control”.  Kiyo Akasaka, UN Under-Secretary-General, received the declaration and mentioned that it would be useful in informing the debate at the MDGs Summit taking place on September 20 in New York. The Melbourne UN DPI/NGO Conference helped provide more momentum for the NCD advocacy movement, as we gear up for the High Level UN Meeting on the prevention and control of NCDs next year.

American Cancer Society in China Prior to the UICC Conference: Hosting Advocacy Workshop, Participating in Global Health Partnerships Program

American Cancer Society Chief Operating Officer Greg Bontrager (center) speaks with workshop participants in Hong Kong.

 

Prior to the start of the UICC World Cancer Congress 2010 in Shenzhen, China, the American Cancer Society hosted the final workshop as part of its Asia Regional Cancer Control Program in Hong Kong from August 12-15. More than 30 representatives from the program’s ten grantee organizations attended the event, which focused on cancer control advocacy principles and practices. The workshop featured regional guest speakers such as Jack Sim, a global activist for water and sanitation facilities in low-resource settings, Ken Hanioka and Ryoji Noritake of Health Policy Institute Japan, Ratih Hardjono, a prominent advocacy and communications expert based in Indonesia, and representatives of the Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society. American Cancer Society Immediate Past President Elizabeth “Terry” Fontham, MPH, DrPH, presented a module on advocacy collaborations. American Cancer Society Chief Operating Officer Greg Bontrager facilitated an executive roundtable to discuss advocacy as it relates to program sustainability as well as future engagement of the Society with regional stakeholders. Grantees developed national advocacy workplans as part of the workshop and identified areas of regional overlap. Attendees also offered input on the Society’s global advocacy strategy and ideas for mobilizing grassroots partners throughout Southeast Asia in a noncommunicable disease campaign. The workshop was funded through a grant to the American Cancer Society by the Pfizer Foundation and was attended by Pfizer Asia representatives. The grant-funded program will continue through December 2010.

  

In addition, American Cancer Society staff participated in a workshop for Global Health Partnerships initiative grantees in Shenzhen, China, in advance of the UICC World Cancer Congress 2010. The workshop convened cancer and tobacco control organizations from around the world to discuss program sustainability. The American Cancer Society manages three projects funded by the initiative: the Asia Regional Cancer Control Program, the Latin America Regional Health Grants Program, and the Smokefree at Work (Travaillons Sans Fumee) program in North Africa. Collectively, these programs have directly engaged a total of 32 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and nearly 150,000 stakeholders (including screened individuals, companies, policymakers, youth, and volunteers), and reached millions through informational materials, media, and research. American Cancer Society staff Johanna Ralston, vice president, Global Strategies, and Alessandra Durstine, vice president, Regional Programs, presented at the workshop on strategic fundraising and grassroots advocacy for noncommunicable disease. In addition, eight Asia program grantees were supported through the American Cancer Society’s grant to attend the workshop and UICC conference. The Global Health Partnerships initiative is funded by Pfizer Foundation and Pfizer, Inc. The American Cancer Society has been a grantee since 2007 and the Society’s grant-funded programs will continue through 2010 and early 2011.

 

Day Four at the UICC Conference: Community Mobilization, Cervical Cancer Prevention, Conference Closing Ceremony

John Seffrin, PhD, national chief executive officer, American Cancer Society (right), and Doug Ulman, president and chief executive officer, LIVESTRONG (left), deliver a report on the World Cancer Leaders' Summit, held earlier in the week at the UICC World Cancer Congress 2010, at the closing ceremony of the conference on Day Four.

 

The American Cancer Society participated in more conference sessions during the fourth and final day of the UICC World Cancer Congress 2010. The following are highlights of those activities.

  

  

A morning session titled “Actions for System Change: Community Mobilization Strategies for the 21^st Century” featured a dialogue with John Seffrin, PhD, national chief executive officer, American Cancer Society, and Doug Ulman, president and chief executive officer, LIVESTRONG^®. Dr. Seffrin and Mr. Ulman shared their views on programs and methods that are most effective in mobilizing communities to take action on cancer control. Dr. Seffrin cited the American Cancer Society Relay For Life^® as a prime example of a program that empowers people in the United States and around the world to raise greater awareness about cancer issues and raise funding to fight back against cancer. Dr. Seffrin also highlighted the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network^SM (ACS CAN), a sister organization of the American Cancer Society, as a model organization that effectively advocates on cancer issues and influences policymakers in the United States to create laws that address the needs of those affected by cancer and promote cancer prevention and early detection. Mr. Ulman remarked on the importance of collaboration among global cancer control organizations and the use of social media in creating greater awareness around the world about cancer issues and what cancer control organizations are doing to combat the growing global burden of cancer. Both of them agreed that next year’s United Nations special summit on noncommunicable diseases, including cancer, will be essential for positive public policy change on the global burden of cancer.

  

  

The American Cancer Society participated in another conference session addressing cervical cancer prevention. American Cancer Society Immediate Past President Elizabeth “Terry” Fontham, MPH, DrPH, and Johanna Ralston, vice president, Global Strategies, American Cancer Society, were among the speakers for this session. Dr. Fontham spoke about the need for cervical cancer prevention worldwide, and mentioned some specific needs for prevention methods in Africa. Dr. Fontham presented case studies on cervical cancer prevention work in Guatemala and Nicaragua as best practices for prevention of the disease. This conference session was co-chaired by South Africa First Lady Madame Madiba-Zuma, a strong advocate for addressing women’s cancer issues in South Africa and across the continent. Madame Zuma talked about the challenges of cervical cancer control in her country and her role as the current chair of the Forum of African First Ladies Against Breast & Cervical Cancer, launched last year in South Africa by Madame Zuma and several fellow African first ladies to promote greater awareness of breast and cervical cancer issues throughout Africa.

  

  

In other conference sessions during the day, American Cancer Society Chief Medical Officer Otis Brawley, MD, gave a presentation in a conference session on “Balancing Public Messages on Screening: Risks, Benefits, and Guidelines.” Rijo M. John, PhD, director, international tobacco control research, American Cancer Society, led a conference session focusing on the findings from a major report released earlier this week by the American Cancer Society and LIVESTRONG, “The Global Economic Cost of Cancer.” Dr. John served as a co-author on the report along with Hana Ross, PhD, strategic director, international tobacco control research, American Cancer Society.

  

  

In the late afternoon, many conference participants gathered for the closing ceremony for the UICC World Cancer Congress. One of the main presentations of this closing ceremony was a report on the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit delivered by Dr. John Seffrin and Doug Ulman, who discussed the outcomes from the Summit held on the second day of the conference. UICC representatives announced that their organization will be changing its official name in English to the “Union for International Cancer Control” (until now, the name has been the “International Union Against Cancer”). UICC representatives also announced that there were more than 3,200 participants at this year’s conference, and that they looked forward to seeing these participants again at the next UICC World Cancer Congress, to be held two years from now in Montreal, Canada.

  

Overall, this year’s UICC World Cancer Congress was a successful event. American Cancer Society staff and volunteer leadership played influential roles in many conference sessions. In addition, the American Cancer Society hosted 20 Africa and Asia grantees at the conference as part of a strategic to leverage on-the-ground expertise to align with the Society’s global goals to elevate global cancer and tobacco control on the world’s health agenda. Participation in the conference helped these partners by granting them access to international peers, emerging evidence, and information on global campaigns.

UICC Conference, Day Three: ACS-Sponsored Session on Tobacco Control in Sub-Saharan Africa, Other Conference Sessions and Activities

George W.P. Atkins, chair, National Board of Directors, American Cancer Society, moderates a panel discussion during an ACS-sponsored conference session on tobacco control in sub-Saharan Africa.

 

The American Cancer Society sponsored and participated in several high-profile sessions and meetings during the third day of the UICC World Cancer Congress 2010. The following are highlights of those activities.

 

The American Cancer Society sponsored a session for conference participants at the UICC World Cancer Congress addressing “The Last Opportunity to Prevent a Tobacco Epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa.” The session gave an overview of the growing tobacco burden on sub-Saharan Africa and the efforts of the American Cancer Society and other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to combat this growing epidemic through global cancer advocacy and educating the media. The panel discussion at the session was moderated by American Cancer Society volunteer George W.P. Atkins, chair, National Board of Directors, American Cancer Society. Speakers on the panel included Nathan Grey, MPH, national vice president, Global Health, American Cancer Society; Dr. Judith Mackay, senior advisor, World Lung Foundation; Patricia Lambert, director, International Legal Consortium, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids; and Anso Thom, print editor, Health-e news service in South Africa. Mr. Grey spoke about the American Cancer Society’s new global strategy on cancer advocacy and tobacco control. A large part of this new strategy includes the new African Tobacco Control Consortium, a global coalition of public health-oriented organizations led and coordinated by the American Cancer Society and funded with a $7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which uses evidence-based approaches to stem the growing tobacco epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. The other panelists spoke about the negative impacts of tobacco use and tobacco industry practices on the continent, and how the media can help inform the public and influence policymakers on tobacco control laws.

 

American Cancer Society Chief Medical Officer Otis Brawley, MD, spoke at two conference sessions, “Seeking Civil Society Involvement in Global Policy – The WHO and UICC Partnership-Tobacco Control Programmes” and “Latest Developments in GYN Cancer: Cervix, Endometrial, and Ovarian.” In a conference session on “Dispelling Global Cancer Myths Through Engaging Journalists,” American Cancer Society staff Alessandra Durstine, vice president, Regional Programs, and Cristina Parsons Perez, PhD, program manager, Latin America Programs, gave presentations on best practices for cancer control NGOs to leverage the power of the media to foster an open and evidence-based dialogue around cancer. Other Society staff and volunteer leadership participated in sessions that examined smoke-free settings and strategic approaches to public-private branding of cancer organizations.

 

In other conference-related activities and news:

 

• John Seffrin, PhD, national chief executive officer, American Cancer Society, and Doug Ulman, chief executive officer, LIVESTRONG, met with journalists from the Reuters news organization to discuss the newly released ACS/LIVESTRONG report “The Global Economic Cost of Cancer.”

 

• Elizabeth “Terry” Fontham, MPH, DrPH, immediate past president, American Cancer Society, met with South Africa’s First Lady Madame Tobeka Zuma to discuss cervical cancer issues in South Africa.

 

• An article appeared in China Daily, the largest English language news organization in mainland China, which addressed China’s “lethal habit” of smoking and referenced the newly released American Cancer Society and World Lung Foundation publication The Tobacco Atlas, Third Edition in Chinese, launched yesterday at the UICC World Cancer Congress in China. The article also included observations on tobacco use in developing countries from Dr. John Seffrin.