Blog
16 August 2018

Accessing global perspectives to inform local practice: a Young Leader’s view

Author(s):
Roberta Costa Marques
Desiderata Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

About the author

Roberta Marques is Executive Director of the Desiderata Institute which aims to strengthen the public health system in order to promote early diagnosis and treatment for children and adolescents with cancer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Roberta was selected to be a UICC Young Leader in 2017.  

Thanks to the Young Leaders Programme, I had the privilege of taking part in the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit in Mexico in November 2017, the first event of its kind in Latin America. The Summit enabled me to learn from world leaders the reality and the joint challenges that lie ahead. I also had the opportunity to meet and share experiences with other UICC Young Leaders which proved to be invaluable.

As a UICC Young Leader, I have been involved in a core group that analyses National Cancer Control Plans of numerous countries, helping to raise awareness, prepare countries for action, and contribute to presenting a blueprint of plans at the next UN High-level meeting  in September 2018. I am also the Latin American regional leader for the 2018 World Cancer Congress, mobilizing members, participating in defining guidelines, and encouraging other organisations to submit collaborative initiatives to share with their peers from all over the world.

Another event proved extremely important to my work at the Desiderata Institute: Participating in the Toronto Global Cancer Control Conference held in March 2018 in Canada. I chose to attend the conference as part of the Young Leaders Programme regional visit to learn, engage, and maximise networking opportunities which will directly benefit my work in Brazil.

I had the opportunity to hear from and meet a number of relevant experts in the global cancer control setting. I was especially inspired by Dr. Rifat Atun, Professor of Global Health Systems at Harvard University, who stated the importance of viewing cancer as an investment if we want to move forward in controlling the disease; Dr. Michal Marmot, Director of the UCL Institute of Health Equity, who gave an inspiring lecture on social determinants of health and their relation to inequality; and Dr. David Jaffray, Vice President of Technology and Innovation at University Health Network, who made a strong statement about the need to rethink how we use information technology - it is no longer only a tool for work, it is changing the way we work.

A crucial encounter at the conference was personal contact with Dr. Sumit Gupta, from SickKids Hospital who chairs the unit for policy and economics research in childhood cancer (PERCC). I presented the work of my institute, the challenges we currently face, and the studies we have started designing to evaluate a policy implemented in Rio de Janeiro in 2005, with the aim of promoting early diagnosis. Thanks to Dr. Gupta, I will also be able to participate in the Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO) Childhood Cancer Working Group.

Meeting with other young leaders from the Young Professionals Chronic Disease Network (YP-CDN) resulted in practical application as they shared an Advocacy Strategy Chart that we already used at our internal planning meetings this year. I met alumni of the UICC Young Leaders Programme, among them Dr. Fabio Moraes, who works at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. We had a fruitful brainstorming session and discussed his participation at the next Paediatric Oncology Forum to be held in Rio de Janeiro in 2019.

Overall the experience was beyond my expectations. Besides expanding my knowledge and networking, I was able to identify potential new collaborators, present the work of the Desiderata Institute, open channels for international dialogue and partnerships, and be more innovative at work. The exposure of participating in such a global discussion on cancer control has made a real difference in my way of thinking about local practice. I realised the superficiality of borders and understood that only by sharing and aligning efforts in the same direction, can the cancer and broader health community overcome the enormous challenges that lie ahead.

Meet Roberta and other UICC Young Leaders at the 2018 World Cancer Congress from 1-4 October in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Register now.

Author(s):
Roberta Costa Marques
Desiderata Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

About the author

Roberta Marques is Executive Director of the Desiderata Institute which aims to strengthen the public health system in order to promote early diagnosis and treatment for children and adolescents with cancer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Roberta was selected to be a UICC Young Leader in 2017.  

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Tuesday 28 February 2023

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