Strengthening cancer control in Latin America: UICC’s session at SELAC
The Latin American Cancer Week (SELAC) taking place 17-21 March aims to address rising cancer cases and disparities in care that are driving mortality rates. UICC will host an open session on 20 March highlighting international efforts to improve cancer control.
Cancer is a significant public health challenge in Latin America, with disparities in access to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment contributing to high mortality rates. In 2022, there were some 1.5 million new cancer cases in Latin America and the Caribbean region, and this figure is projected to increase to 1.8 million cases by 2050, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
The rising incidence of cancer stems from a combination of factors including population growth and ageing, lifestyle changes (tobacco/alcohol use, poor diet, inactivity), environmental factors, infectious agents, and socioeconomic disparities.
This poses a considerable burden on economies as well as on individuals, their families and communities, with health systems not always well equipped to manage this growing burden of disease. While some countries have made progress, significant investment and coordinated strategies are still needed to address uneven access to services, infrastructure limitations, resource constraints, data gaps, and policy challenges hindering effective cancer control.
To address the situation, the Latin American Cancer Week (Semana latinoamericana del cáncer, SELAC) will take place 17-21 March, aiming to improve cancer prevention, treatment and care in the region by promoting education, sharing knowledge, and exchanging best practices.
UICC is actively involved in SELAC, hosting a virtual session entitled ‘Examples of International Collaboration in the field of cancer control in Latin America’ on 20 March at 14:30 UTC-3 (Argentina time).
The session will include an introduction by Laura Fernandez Diaz (UICC) and a panel discussion featuring: Zuzanna Tittenbrun (UICC) on the global cancer agenda in Latin America; Dr Lisseth Ruiz de Campos (ASAPRECAN) on the ATOM Coalition initiative in El Salvador and other examples of collaboration; and Dr Melissa Varón López (MD Anderson) on Project ECHO – ELA, an initiative of PAHO, US NCI, and MD Anderson, to eliminate cervical cancer in Latin America. The session will be closed by Kenji Lopez Cuevas, President and Founder of Cancer Warriors Mexico, and member of the Board of Directors of UICC.
The event aims to highlight examples of international collaboration facilitated by UICC and its members in the Latin American and Caribbean region. The virtual session will present examples of international collaboration from the UICC network that can inspire similar actions across the region and beyond.
Registration for the Virtual Dialogue is available on the UICC website. Through its participation in SELAC, UICC seeks to strengthen collaboration and amplify the impact of cancer control initiatives in Latin America.
Last update
Friday 14 March 2025
