Virtual Dialogue: Cancer patients are the primary victims of the superbug crisis

People with cancer are more susceptible to infections due to the lowering of their immune defences.  As many as one in five cancer patients undergoing treatment is hospitalized due to an infection and infections are the second leading cause of death for people living with cancer. The emergence of drug-resistant pathogens are seriously affecting cancer care outcomes and if we don’t act now, all the progress made in cancer care will be undermined.

Addressing AMR is essential for better cancer care outcomes and this Virtual Dialogue, held on the occasion of the London Global Cancer Week and in the run-up to the second UN high level meeting on AMR in 2024, provided an opportunity to discuss key topics such as:

• The importance of data and surveillance systems

• Ensuring access to treatment including R&D for innovative treatments and good infection prevention and control practises

• Multistakeholder collaboration between the cancer and infectious diseases communities.

Speakers 

• Shalini Jayasekar Zurn, Senior Advocacy Manager, Union for International Cancer Control (Chair)

• Lillian Sung, Canada Research Chair in Pediatric Oncology Supportive Care, Division of Haematology/Oncology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Canada

• Diane Flayhart, Director, Global Public Health, Life Sciences, BD

• Scott Howard, Professor, University of Tennessee Health Science Center

• Alexandra Meagan Cameron, Senior Expert and Unit Head, Impact Initiatives and Research Coordination, AMR Division, WHO

• Jon Kirknes, Head of Department for Cancer Research and Prevention, Norwegian Cancer Society

• Andrea Caputo, Global Health Advisor, ReAct Europe

Hosted in collaboration with

Watch the recording below