News
14 November 2017

Cities from over the world invited to join C/Can 2025 to help implement sustainable cancer care solutions for their citizens

Read the official 2017 World Cancer Leaders' Summit media release of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).

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14 November 2017 – Mexico City, Mexico: Today, 300 global cancer and health leaders gathered at the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit (WCLS) under the theme ‘Cities driving change’ to highlight the leading role cities can play in improving access to quality cancer services for their people.

High-level attendees included Mexican President, Enrique Peña Nieto; Tabaré Vázquez, President of Uruguay; Her Majesty Queen Letizia of Spain; Gabriela Michetti, Vice President of Argentina, H.E. Mrs Kim Simplis, First Lady of Belize; José Narro Robles, Minister of Health of Mexico; Miguel Ángel Mancera Espinosa, Mayor of Mexico City.

“We are proud to host the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit for the first time in Latin America and believe this is an extraordinary opportunity for tangible actions to be undertaken as a region to reduce the burden of cancer. In Mexico we are committed to continuing to implement measures that will allow us to better face this disease and contribute to having an impact globally,” said Dr Jose Narro Robles, Minister of Health of Mexico.

As part of the day’s outcomes, cities with populations greater than 1 million were called on to join an exciting new phase of C/Can 2025: City Cancer Challenge (C/Can 2025) as ‘Challenge Cities. Run by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), C/Can 2025 is a first of its kind multi-sectoral initiative where city stakeholders are engaged in the design, planning and implementation of cancer treatment solutions to reduce inequities in access to quality cancer care.

“With 54% of the world’s population living in cities, and that number expected to rise above 66% in the coming decades, urban health is a critical issue. We are convinced that cities can be key drivers in reaching the global targets as outlined by the UN and C/Can 2025 is a concrete response to this. In joining C/Can 2025, cities are joining a new community of local stakeholders, who with support from one another, from UICC, from our members, from our partners, both private sector and UN, represented here today, can take a lead in improving the health of their citizens”, said Professor Sanchia Aranda, UICC President.

In joining C/Can 2025, ‘Challenge Cities’ will be able to learn from and contribute to a global knowledge-sharing hub, engage in a unique multisectoral health partnership model and contribute to the generation of a robust evidence-base for investment in cancer care in cities.

Launched in January 2017, C/Can 2025 has already been rolled out in three Key Learning Cities with an ambition to scale-up support in 2018 to a wide network of cities in every region. Today’s call to action coincided with the announcement of the city of Kumasi, Ghana joining C/Can 2025 as the first city in Africa. It joins the small group of Key Learning Cities of Asuncion, Cali and Yangon and will commence activities in January 2018.

“We are proud that Kumasi will be the first C/Can 2025 City in Africa and look forward to working with UICC and other C/Can 2025 cities around the world to improve cancer care for our people,” stated Hon. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Minister of Health, Republic of Ghana.

As part of event discussions, cities were able to showcase their progress so far, discussing key learnings and next steps with guidance from key experts in cancer and city-led initiatives, and identify opportunities for city-to-city collaborations.

The first set of Challenge Cities will be announced during the next World Health Assembly in May 2018.

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Ghanaian Minister of Health announces that Kumasi has been chosen as 4th Key Learning City
MoU signing between UICC's C/Can 2025 Team and the Ghanaian delegation
Ghanaian delegation celebrating Kumasi chosen as 4th Key Learning City

Note to editors

About the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit

The World Cancer Leaders’ Summit (WCLS) is the most important annual high-level policy meeting dedicated exclusively to influencing global decisions which impact cancer control. The event brings together key decision makers from around the world, and encourages timely debate on emerging global issues related to cancer. It provides a vital forum to secure a global, cross-sector, response and ensure accountability in addressing this significant non-communicable disease (NCD). The WCLS is traditionally held in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and is hosted by a UICC Member from the region.

2017 WCLS – ‘Cities driving change’

Under the theme ‘Cities Driving Change’, this year’s Summit has brought together 300 key decision makers from over 72 countries to discuss about the leading role cities can play in improving access to quality cancer services for their communities. The Summit has engaged Heads of State, Ministers of Health, city and industry leaders, First Ladies, Senior Executives and other influential players from the cancer, health and development community - on how to partner collectively and support cities in translating the global commitments in cancer prevention and care into national action by 2025.

For further information of the summit or press announcements, please visit: www.uicc.org/2017WCLS

C/Can 2025: City Cancer Challenge (C/Can 2025)

C/Can 2025: City Cancer Challenge (C/Can 2025) signals a paradigm shift in the way international organisations will help country and city leaders tackle the growing burden of cancer they are facing. This UICC initiative is a truly multi-sectoral challenge where all city stakeholders will be engaged in the design, planning and implementation of cancer treatment solutions and cities will be encouraged and supported to take the lead on improving the health of their citizens and reducing inequities in access to quality cancer care.

For further information of the C/Can 2025 initiative, please visit: www.uicc.org/CCan2025

About the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)

UICC is the largest international cancer-fighting organisation, with over 1,000 member organisations across 164 countries representing the world's major cancer societies, ministries of health, research institutes, treatment centres and patient groups. The organisation is dedicated to taking the lead in convening, capacity building and advocacy initiatives that unite the cancer community to reduce the global cancer burden, promote greater equity, and integrate cancer control into the world health and development agenda. UICC and its multisectoral partners are committed to encouraging governments to look towards the implementation and scale-up of quality and sustainable programmes that address the global burden of cancer and other NCDs. UICC is also a founding member of the NCD Alliance, a global civil society network that now represents almost 2,000 organisations in 170 countries.

For more information, please visit: www.uicc.org

Media contacts

Patricia Galve                                                                           Vanessa Marquez                                                                   
Email: galve@uicc.org                                                             Email: uiccpress@insightcomunicacion.com   
Tel: +41 (0) 22 809 18 16 / +41 (0) 79 955 04 78                 Tel: +52 (55) 67 98 51 60

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Friday 07 June 2019

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