ESMO Emphasises Importance of Cancer on Global Health Agenda at WHA

PR73700

LUGANO, Switzerland, May 24, 2018 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

    At the World Health Assembly in Geneva, ESMO delivered two statements

positioning cancer as a priority on the WHO global agenda. [

http://www.who.int/world-health-assembly/seventy-first ]

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/696385/WHA_Global_Health_Agenda.jpg )

    ESMO advocated the strengthening of health systems to achieve Universal

Health Coverage and to provide essential secondary healthcare services to the

millions of cancer patients who die prematurely due to lack of access to

appropriate treatment.

    The widespread availability of secondary healthcare services to cancer

patients depends on the presence of sufficient numbers of well-trained oncology

professionals with sustainable access to the resources required to perform

surgery, deliver radiotherapy, administer cancer treatments, provide supportive

and palliative care. ESMO is active in many of these areas and able to support

individual Member States' efforts.

    Alexandru Eniu, ESMO Global Policy Committee Chair: "ESMO has worked with

the WHO for over 15 years to improve cancer care worldwide. The platform we

were given to talk about cancer illustrates how prominent the topic is becoming

on the global health agenda and confirms the relevance of our continued

collaboration."

    ESMO President Josep Tabernero: "It was a privilege for us to be able to

speak directly to the international community about the pressing global health

issue that is cancer. ESMO is ready to support the WHO and Member States in

strengthening the medical oncology workforce and in identifying the most

cost-effective interventions and treatments that can immediately help reduce

the number of cancer deaths worldwide."

    Full story: https://bit.ly/2IHXdL1

    ESMO is the leading professional organisation for medical oncology. With

18,000 members representing oncology professionals from 150 countries

worldwide, ESMO is the society of reference for oncology education and

information.

    media@esmo.org

    +41-91-973-19-07

SOURCE: European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)