Special Focus Dialogue: Patient-centred cancer care at every age

Patient-centred cancer care at every age: what can we do in the next 10 years?

Description

The global ageing population is a hallmark of successful development. The proliferation of policies and programmes to protect and promote health has delivered substantial declines in infant and adult mortality, and extended global average life expectancy from 64.2 years in 1990 to 72.6 years in 2019.

In many places around the world, however, increases in healthy life expectancy have not kept pace and an increasing number of adults, and older adults in particular, are living with cancer and one or more health conditions.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has recognised this and calls for health for all, at all ages, as a crucial element of sustainable social, economic, and environmental development. But these calls have not translated into the national and regional action we need. As the number of adults over the age of 65 continues to increase, so too does the number of older adults living with one or more non-communicable disease (NCD).

Building on a forthcoming report, this Virtual Dialogue explored how we can better integrate care for people with cancer and other NCDs, with particular focus on the needs of older adults. It explored how countries and institutions are building systems around patients and populations, and what roles all members of the cancer and NCD community can play in delivering patient-centred cancer care at all ages.

This event was organised as part of celebrations around the International Day of Older Persons (1 October 2021) and co-organised by UICC, the European Cancer Patient Coalition and the NCD Alliance.

Recording

Speakers 

• Dr Enrique Soto Pérez de Celis - UICC Young Leader and researcher in Medical Sciences, Department of Geriatrics, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, with expertise related to the care of older adults with cancer and improving access to care for vulnerable populations in resource-limited settings.

• Ms Jacqueline Daly - Secretary to the Board of the European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC) and co-founder and Director of Services of East Galway & Midlands Cancer Support. Jacqueline is a patient advocate and campaigner who is dedicated to bringing awareness of patient needs to local and national government agencies, and is also an active member of the Public and Patient Involvement Group of the Irish Society of Gynaecological Oncology and patient representative on the Board of the Society of Sexual Medicine in Ireland. 

• Dr Vicki Pinkney-Atkinson - South Africa NCD Alliance