The Global Fight Against Cancer

American Cancer Society Actively Participates in First Full Day of AORTIC Conference

 
Otis Brawley, MD, chief medical officer, American Cancer Society (second row, standing in center), with other distinguished guests at AORTIC Conference 2009, including His Excellency Jakaya Kikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania (seated first row, second from right).

On Thursday, November 12, the first full day of the American Cancer Society-supported AORTIC Conference 2009 got off to a great start. The conference has attracted record attendance, with more than 700 global government and health leaders convening to discuss cancer and tobacco control in Africa. American Cancer Society staff and volunteers delivered presentations at key plenary sessions and workshops on tobacco control, advocacy, and cancer planning, including Van Wolf, chair, National Board of Directors; Thomas Glynn, PhD, director, Cancer Science and Trends and director, International Cancer Control; Ann McMikel, strategic director, International Affairs; and Loyce Pace, director, Regional Programs, International Affairs. Following the morning sessions, Tanzania’s president, Jakaya Kikwete, officially welcomed the conference delegates and pledged his commitment to making cancer a priority in the region. In the evening, the American Cancer Society delegation hosted a dinner for Society partners attending the conference.

Media and NGOs Dialogue at American Cancer Society Workshops in Tanzania; ACS Chief Medical Officer Joins Key Global Health Leaders to Open AORTIC Conference

The American Cancer Society’s pre-conference workshops in Tanzania concluded earlier today with a lively discussion between African journalists and nongovernmental organization (NGO) representatives on barriers to cancer coverage and potential solutions in Africa. In the course of the discussion, the 24 journalists and 34 NGO representatives identified particular cancer myths that contribute to the barriers in cancer awareness in Africa. They also proposed solutions to debunking these myths, including strengthening relationships between journalists and NGOs so that journalists have access to credible and accurate information, and humanizing stories on cancer and destigmatizing the disease by profiling survivors. The discussion was followed by a graduation lunch for all workshop participants, where they were joined by Jean-Baptiste Tapko, MD, the World Health Organization’s country representative for Tanzania. The pre-conference workshops have been generously supported by Oracle, the Canadian Cancer Society, and AORTIC.

Later in the day, American Cancer Society staff and volunteers joined with hundreds of cancer and tobacco control partners from around the world at the opening ceremony of AORTIC Conference 2009. The conference, which runs through November 14, will give participants the opportunity to share ideas and best practices on all aspects of cancer care and management in Africa, from prevention and diagnoses to treatment and palliation. American Cancer Society Chief Medical Officer Otis Brawley, MD, served on a panel during the ceremony with other distinguished guests, including David Mwakyusa, MD, minister for Health and Social Welfare of Tanzania. At the conclusion of the opening ceremony, Brawley was given a special gift in recognition of the American Cancer Society’s role as a key partner in cancer control in Africa. 

New American Cancer Society-sponsored Cancer and Tobacco Control Channel Launched on South African Health Web Site

A new cancer and tobacco channel sponsored by the American Cancer Society has been launched on the Health-e Web site, an award-winning South African health news Web site. The Web site channel, located at http://health-e.org.za/cancer, currently has stories on The Tobacco Atlas, Third Edition, co-published by the American Cancer Society and the World Lung Foundation; an interview with John R. Seffrin, PhD, chief executive officer, American Cancer Society; and the launch of Campaign 4 Cancer by an American Cancer Society grantee. The Web site channel editor is Anso Thom, a former CNN African Journalist of the Year and recipient of the Kaiser Family Foundation award for best reporting in Africa on HIV/AIDS. Anso was a journalist scholar last year at the American Cancer Society Media Summit in South Africa. She is an American Cancer Society journalist fellow at the Society’s Media Summit taking place now in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and will be reporting this week from the 2009 African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC) Conference in the same location. Health-e stories on cancer and tobacco control from the Tanzania conference will appear on the Web site, in leading South African newspapers, and on leading South African radio stations.

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 To Host Pre-Conference Workshops at AORTIC Conference 2009 in Tanzania; New ACS Blog Set Up for Tanzania Activities

 

 
  
The American Cancer Society is participating in AORTIC Conference 2009, being held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from November 11-14. The African Organisation for Research & Training in Cancer (AORTIC) has organized this conference for cancer control advocates from around the world to address the African cancer burden.

In addition to its participation in the conference, the American Cancer Society will be hosting two pre-conference workshops in Dar es Salaam. One is an training event organized for representatives of African nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) as part of the American Cancer Society Africa Cancer Information (ACI) program. The ACI event, taking place from Nov. 8-11, will allow these NGOs to learn about NGO management practices and cancer control activities. The other event is an ACS Media Summit for journalists representing print, radio, and TV media organizations thoughout Africa. Journalists will learn about best practices in health reporting, especially as they relate to creating greater awareness of cancer and tobacco control in the public. This Media Summit, taking place from Nov. 9-11, has been made possible with the generous support of Oracle, the Canadian Cancer Society, and AORTIC.

The American Cancer Society has set up a new blog at http://cancer.blogs.com/acsaortic to post materials and updates related to both pre-conference workshops and the AORTIC Conference. Materials include press releases, speaker biographies, fact sheets, and more. You can use the links in "Catgories" in the left column of the blog to find materials related to each subject. Also, check the "Quick Links" and "Twitter Updates" section in the right column to find useful information and resources on cancer and tobacco control in Africa and around the world.

American Cancer Society Sponsors, Holds Workshop at 2009 US-Africa Business Summit

 
Participants in the American Cancer Society panel discussion on cancer and other noncommunicable diseases.  From left to right:  Haskell Ward, SEACOMM; Tom Glynn, PhD, American Cancer Society; Lisa A. Newman, MD, MPH, FACS, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center; Mo Mayrides, PhRMA International Development Alliance; Michelle DeMoor, Philips Health Care. (Not pictured: Funmi Olopade, MD, FACP, University of Chicago)

 
United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton addresses the summit participants.

The American Cancer Society is proud to have sponsored a panel discussion at the 2009 US-Africa Business Summit, which was held September 29-October 1 in Washington, D.C. This biennial event, which was organized by the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), brought together more than 1,500 leaders from the public and private sectors to explore business and investment opportunities in Africa. US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered a speech at the summit in which she underscored the Obama administration’s commitment to Africa and its vision of the region representing the global economic engine of the 21st century. On development issues including health, she emphasized long-term solutions, metrics, and integration with diplomatic efforts. The American Cancer Society hosted one of several health-related workshops at the summit. The workshop, titled The Changing Health Landscape in Africa and the Private Sector Response: Non-Communicable Diseases, Cancer and Chronic Conditions, brought together a panel of five leading global health experts from the public and private sectors. It was moderated by Thomas Glynn, PhD, director, Cancer Science and Trends and director, International Cancer Control, American Cancer Society. The panel of experts included Michelle DeMoor, senior director, International Policy and Government Relations, Philips Health Care; Lisa A. Newman, MD, MPH, FACS, director, Breast Care Center, and professor of surgery, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center; Mo Mayrides, director, PhRMA International Alliance Development; Funmi Olopade, MD, FACP, Walter L. Palmer distinguished service professor of Medicine and Human Genetics, University of Chicago; and Haskell Ward, senior vice president, Government Relations, SEACOM. They discussed Africa’s changing disease profile and the unique role the private sector can play in controlling the rising burden of cancer and other noncommunicable diseases on the continent.

American Cancer Society to Join African and Mediterranean NGOs at Cancer Conference in Paris in October

The French National League against Cancer, founder of the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) and founding member of the Cancer Network for International Cooperation (RCCI), is launching a new effort to enable African and Mediterranean cancer nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to exchange ideas and create a supportive network. This collaboration will provide better support for patients and their caregivers, and foster cooperation among health professionals and institutions in the region.The French National League against Cancer will hold, at its Paris headquarters on October 9-10, the first meeting of the Francophone African & Mediterranean Leagues in the Fight Against Cancer, which will be attended by NGOs and experts invested in this cause in the region. For more information about the upcoming event, click on this link to view the conference Web site (all information available only in French; English version to be added soon): liguesafromed.com. Sylvana Rochet-Belleri, North Africa program manager, American Cancer Society, will attend the conference to meet with partners and stakeholders.

American Cancer Society-Supported Initiative Hosts Tobacco Control Training in Burkina Faso

The Africa Tobacco Control Regional Initiative (ATCRI) hosted a capacity building and strategy workshop for Francophone tobacco control advocates August 20- 23 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. ATCRI, which is co-supported by the American Cancer Society and Cancer Research UK, was attended by participants from 14 French-speaking African countries, who met to discuss the development of sustainable national tobacco control action plans and strengthening alliances to allow for multi-partner interventions and action at the regional level. ATCRI and its Francophone partner organization, Observatoire du Tabac en Afrique Francophone (OTAF), also organized a press conference with local journalists. Several press articles were written and interviews with ATCRI and OTAF workshop organizers were broadcast on a local nightly news report.This was the second workshop organized by ATCRI, following a similar meeting with Anglophone tobacco control advocates held February 2009 in Accra, Ghana.

American Cancer Society Meets with Leaders in Public Health at 3rd Stop Cervical Cancer in Africa Conference

From left to right:  Her Excellency Mrs. Tobeka Madiba-Zuma, First Lady of the Republic of South Africa; Her Excellency Princess Nchegechege of Swaziland, Princess Nikky Onyeri of Nigeria (founder and executive director of the Princess Nikky Breast Cancer Foundation, and the conference host), and Her Excellency Hon. Janet Museveni of Uganda

The American Cancer Society joined with other public health organizations at the 3rd Stop Cervical Cancer in Africa Conference, which was held July 19-21 in Cape Town, South Africa. Loyce Pace Bass, director, Regional Programs, American Cancer Society, met with public health leaders from Burkina Faso, Kenya, Malawi, Seychelles, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and other nations to discuss their challenges and best practices. Information was provided to participants on the millions of women in Africa living with cervical cancer and the challenge to improve access to lifesaving prevention, diagnostic, and treatment resources. There was a call for civil society, clinical, and government stakeholders present to advocate for the HPV vaccine and low-resource screening programs (i.e. VIA), as well as patient care and support. Goodwill messages were presented from a number of distinguished guests, including Tobeka Madiba-Zuma, first lady of the Republic of South Africa. During the closing ceremonies for the conference, Madiba-Zuma and other first ladies of Africa launched the new Forum of African First Ladies Against Breast & Cervical Cancer. In addition, parliamentary and ministry commitments by several African governments to national planning and civil society engagement on cervical cancer were announced.

American Cancer Society Convenes Cancer Control Leaders in South Africa and Cameroon

Panelists at South Africa cancer control strategies meeting, representing the Department of Health of South Africa, Pfizer, and the Mandela Foundation

From July 20-23, the American Cancer Society brought together 15 cancer control nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in South Africa to discuss experiences and opportunities in coordinating community-based cancer control strategies. Participants engaged in small group activities and dialogues that highlighted common challenges, best practices, and overlapping resources. During a panel discussion, speakers from private industry (Pfizer South Africa), civil society (Nelson Mandela Foundation), and government (South Africa National Department of Health) shared insights and advice regarding successful multi-sector partnerships. In their parting statements, the NGO participants praised the opportunity to share ideas and use tools offered by the American Cancer Society at the meeting. They also committed themselves to developing and acting on local, regional, or national collaboration plans with peers. Since the meeting, multiple formal and informal partnerships have been formed or explored. The American Cancer Society also convened cancer and tobacco control stakeholders in Cameroon from July 15-17 for similar discussions on current activities and priorities. The need for more accurate information and education was highlighted as a major priority. One stakeholder recounted a situation in which a newly diagnosed cancer patient was told by his physician that it would have been better if he had HIV/AIDS than cancer. The statement was a poignant reminder of both the lack of awareness of cancer information and critical resources for cancer control in the country and the overall region.