2018 World Cancer Leaders' Summit kicks off in KL

The Master of Ceremony for the evening, Cary Adams, CEO of UICC, welcomed the participants to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, thanking the host organisation, the National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM) and introducing the speakers of the evening. Some highlights of their interventions:

• Dr Saunthari Somasundaram, UICC Board Member and CEO of National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM), the host organisation of the 2018 Summit and World Cancer Congress, thanking and welcoming participants for their attendance. Dr Somasundaram explained how she and her team had often discussed the importance of bringing the Cancer Congress to the South-East Asia Region for the first time.
• First Lady of Armenia, Anna Hakobyan spoke of the value and importance of the work of cancer leaders in bringing attention of cancer as a global health priority, and of the importance of equity (in particular regarding childhood cancer).
• Dr Abelardo Meneses Garcia, Director General of the National Cancer Institute, Mexico (INCAN), which was the host organisation of the 2017 World Cancer Leaders' Summit in Mexico City, shared the impact that the Summit has had in Mexico, and the Latin American region in general. In particular, the Summit created the impetus for the launch and implementation of a new National Cancer Control Programme in Mexico.
• Dr Elisabete Weiderpass, Director-elect of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), reminded participants of the importance of prevention and screening in the fight against cancer, also mentioning the World Health Organization's (WHO) global call to action towards the elimination of cervical cancer, as an example of the importance of cancer, as a global health priority in the World Health Organization's (WHO) agenda.

The 2018 World Cancer Leaders' Summit is taking place on 1st October (find the final agenda here) and will be immediately followed by the Opening Ceremony of the 2018 World Cancer Congress.

View a few photo highlights of the evening here below: