Location: Institute of Global Health University of Geneva, Campus Biotech - G6, Chemin des Mines 9, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland

Date: Thursday, September 19th 2024

Time: 08:45 – 15:45 CEST

Background 

The problems of tackling cancer are, like the disease itself, many-headed. Increased scientific understanding  reveals ever more profound complexities in the manifestations of cancer and the mechanisms behind it. Rapidly advancing technology offers an ever-increasing range of new and potential tools to diagnose and  treat in a more personalized manner, wherever the battle is joined. Rising attention to and provision of  public health care is leading to expanded and more sophisticated efforts for screening at-risk populations  and caring for the growing numbers of survivors and the difficulties many of them face during continued  monitoring and even after successful treatment.  

In parallel to the strictly health-related issues, the costs of cancer—in terms of direct costs in diagnosis and  treatment, and indirect costs in working lives lost or reduced by disease and by care—present a major  challenge in their own right, to the individuals and families affected, but also to the collective and public  health systems.  

Similarly, the organization of care systems, the investment in infrastructure to enable advanced care, the  continuation of support for cancer research (including into why some populations are more susceptible than  others to particular cancers), and the conduct of large-scale targeted screening are the consequence as  much of policy debates and political decisions as the response to scientific or health issues. Still more  widely, as the link between cancer and environmental conditions of populations becomes more clear, even  broader social considerations relating to matters as diverse as air pollution or housing come into play. 

Purpose: 

The aim of this series of sessions is to identify how different global regions are tackling cancer, what the  differences are in cancer care around the globe and what mechanisms are used to fight cancer. To  contribute to understanding the inevitable complexities, this conference will examine, from a range of  perspectives, the provision of care and policies relating to cancer, principally across Africa, Asia and the  Middle East, and Latin America, with some regional generalizations and some country-specific details. 

Outcome 

The conference provides a chance to re-align priorities to evaluate the needs of patients, healthcare  professionals and health systems to facilitate improved and safer access to diagnostics with the support of  the pathology community.  

Attendees 

Attendees will be drawn from key stakeholders whose interaction will create a cross-sectoral, highly  relevant and dynamic discussion forum. These participants will include public health decision makers,  representatives from institutions, patient organisations, and umbrella organizations representing interest  groups and associations actively engaged in the field of cancer. Each session will comprise panel discussions  as well as Q&A sessions to allow best possible involvement of all participants.