The Global Fight Against Cancer

American Cancer Society Organizes Second Forum in Brazil to Address Breast Cancer Control

Speakers at the breast cancer control forum in Brazil

In collaboration with the Brazilian breast cancer coalition (FEMAMA in Portuguese), the American Cancer Society organized and hosted the Rio Grande do Sul State Intersectorial Breast Cancer Control Forum (I Fórum Intersetorial de Controle de Câncer de Mama do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul) from May 19-20 in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil. This forum was the second of a series of American Cancer Society breast cancer forums that will be held in Brazil, aimed at improving breast cancer control and promoting the participation of civil society in cancer planning. Rio Grande do Sul State was chosen as a priority location because of its high incidence rates relative to other states in Brazil as well as the leadership roles of government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in addressing the growing breast cancer burden. During the forum, breast cancer experts and key stakeholders discussed recent advances in heath policies and practices, identified persistent barriers to care, and developed recommendations to improve access to and quality of early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care. The forum convened more than 50 participants, including representatives of the Brazilian National Cancer Institute (INCA in Portuguese), state and municipal secretaries of health, leading public hospitals, philanthropic hospitals, research universities, and NGOs. Dr. Robert A. Smith, Director of Screening for ACS, was the keynote speaker at the event. Other speakers included Dra. Maira Caleffi (FEMAMA), Nair Ferreira (Instituto da Mama do RS, IMAMA), Dr. José Luiz Telles (Ministry of Health), Dr. Ana Ramalho (INCA), Dr. Sandra Coccaro de Souza (State Secretary of Health), Dr. Luciane Rampanelli Franco (Municipal Secretary of Health, Porto Alegre), Dr. Airton Stein (Grupo Hospitalar Conceição), Rosa Rutta (Instituto da Mama do RS, IMAMA), Dr. José Luiz Pedrini (Brazilian Mastology Society), Dr. Marcus Vinicius Bortolotto (IPUC), Dr. Felipe Zerwes (Brazilian Mastology Society), Dr. Stephen Stefani (UNIMED), and Dr. João Marcos Rizzo (Hospital Moinhos de Vento). The event was spotlighted in leading regional newspapers.

 

American Cancer Society Receives Special Consultative Status with the United Nations

On Thursday, June 3, the United Nations Committee on Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) recommended that the American Cancer Society receive special consultative status with the United Nations (UN). The American Cancer Society attended the meeting that day held by the UN Committee on NGOs. This committee, which convenes twice a year, decides which NGOs get special consultative status with the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Since the UN plays an essential role in the American Cancer Society’s global advocacy work, the Society applied for special status last year and was represented at this meeting by Cristina Parsons Perez, PhD, program manager, Latin America Program, American Cancer Society. Dr. Parsons Perez had the opportunity to defend the American Cancer Society’s application and be part of an interactive question-and-answer session with the committee. The United Kingdom, India, and Cuba mission representatives posed questions regarding the American Cancer Society’s international work and how the Society could contribute to the work of the UN. Dr. Parsons Perez gave an in-depth explanation of the American Cancer Society’s work in a variety of countries, including a description of initiatives raising the survivor profile and fighting the cancer stigma using the media, as well as the Society’s efforts in tobacco control in Sub-Saharan Africa and assisting countries in national and state cancer planning. She also touched on the fact that the American Cancer Society was a member of the Harvard task force on cancer in developing countries. Dr. Parsons Perez also made the case for cancer – and other noncommunicable diseases –  being a development issue, as well as a public health issue, that deserves more attention in the UN’s development agenda for the world. Several mission representatives congratulated the American Cancer Society on its work and in turn recommended that it be granted special consultative status. The UK mission representative was very supportive of the American Cancer Society’s efforts, as were mission representatives for Cuba, Sudan, Peru, and Colombia. The representative from Peru thanked the American Cancer Society for its support in national cancer planning, while Colombia’s representative at the meeting expressed appreciation for the Society holding the Latin America Best Practice Awards last November in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. The committee chairman said that the committee would recommend that the American Cancer Society be offered special consultative status with the UN. The Economic and Social Council will now need to adopt the committee’s recommendation. With special consultative status, the American Cancer Society would have UN ground passes, be able to attend UN commission meetings, and also be able to present 500-word statements at the meetings. The American Cancer Society is thankful to the members of the UN Committee on NGOs for supporting the Society’s application.