UICC welcomes 22 organisations to its Cancer Advocates programme for 2023/2024

The 2023/2024 cohort joining UICC’s Cancer Advocates programme primarily consists of newly enlisted organisations, with a few organisations from the existing pool of Cancer Advocates re-engaging for additional support. The geographically diverse group represents 20 countries across three linguistic regions, all with a united goal of advancing cancer control in their respective countries.  

A notable milestone this year is the inclusion of five organisations and civil society coalitions from Francophone Africa; evidence of interest and engagement from this region, resulting from UICC’s commitment to ensure its opportunities are accessible to all its members. 

The selected organisations, each demonstrating a strong commitment to activating national coalitions and engaging key decision makers, bring unique strengths and advocacy aspirations to the programme.  

These organisations will be supported to advocate for improved cancer control, including the ability to frame advocacy efforts in the broader health system context. To achieve this, the selected organisations will be equipped with critical technical skills and knowledge, and invaluable mentorship and peer-to-peer learning opportunities will be provided designed to amplify the impact of their advocacy.  

For example, in response to the disproportionate burden of women’s cancers and childhood cancers in low-and middle-income settings, several organisations will advocate for national progress towards targets outlined in the World Health Organization’s global initiatives for childhood cancer, breast cancer, and cervical cancer elimination. 

Sub-groups formed around thematic areas, including tobacco control, patient navigation and early detection, will facilitate peer-to-peer learning, fostering a supportive community for sharing ideas and pooling resources. This also presents an opportunity to share the wealth of resources in specific domains, such as those developed through UICC’s Breast Cancer programme and the Unitaid-funded SUCCESS project focused upon the scale-up of secondary prevention strategies for cervical cancer elimination. 

Aligned with their advocacy objectives, these organisations will draw lessons from real-life examples on how to influence the creation or adaptation of national cancer plans and policies, improve access to medicines, establish a national cancer registry, and influence health financing in their country. To support their diverse advocacy efforts, UICC will connect the organisations with experts for tailored mentorship opportunities. One such partner is ThinkWell, a health systems development organisation collaborating with UICC to assist participants in advancing health financing for universal health coverage (UHC). 

Over the next year, these cancer advocates will not only build essential networks but also engage in practical activities that support them to advocate for the attainment of national targets for cancer control. Beyond enhancing their advocacy skills, the programme provides practical support for organisations to bolster fundraising efforts, monitor progress, and effectively communicate their achievements and impact.  

Launched in response to the 2017 World Health Assembly cancer resolution, the Cancer Advocates programme has been instrumental in supporting national efforts for the realisation of global commitments since its initiation in 2018. Overseeing this initiative is an Advisory Group, comprised of renowned international experts, including several former participants of the programme.  

Full list of organisations joining the Cancer Advocates programme for 2023/2024

• Bangladesh Cancer Society – Bangladesh 
• Breast Care International – Ghana 
• Cancer Association of Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe 
• Cancer Society Nepal – Nepal
• Cankids Kidscan – India 
• COBUCAN – Burkina Faso 
• COLCC – Côte d'ivoire 
• End Cervical Cancer Nigeria Initiative (ECCNI) – Nigeria
• Fadia Survive & Thrive Cancer Association – Kuwait  
• Indonesian Cancer Information and Support Center Association – Indonesia 
• International Institute for Legislative Affairs (IILA) – Kenya 
• Kenya Network of Cancer organizations (KENCO) – Kenya 
• Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute (KCRI) – Tanzania 
• Ligue africaine pour la lutte contre le cancer du sein – Congo (Kinshasa) 
• Ligue Nigérienne de Lutte contre le Cancer – Niger
• Ligue Togolaise Contre le Cancer (LTCC) – Togo
• Nigerian Cancer Society – Nigeria
• Potencijal Una Sana – Bosnia & Herzegovina 
• Rwanda NCD Alliance – Rwanda
• Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre – Pakistan 
• SOLCA – Ecuador 
• Zhianawa cancer center – Iraq

Learn more about the Cancer Advocates Programme here