Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu: Progress comes only by translating global initiatives into country-level action
Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, UICC President-Elect of 2024-2026, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“In Cairo, Egypt, I had the privilege of participating in a two-day meeting on advancing equity and innovation in women’s cancer care at the invitation of the Presidential Initiative for Women’s Health, in collaboration with WHO EMRO, World Health Organization Egypt, and other global cancer organizations.
As Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) President-Elect and a global cancer advocate, it was an honor to engage in discussions on breast cancer care and share UICC-related programs. I also joined a high-level panel on lung cancer, reinforcing the UICC’s goal to reduce the global burden by harnessing its strength of 1,100 member organizations, and 50 partners, across 72 countries.
Progress comes only by translating global initiatives such as the GBCI into country-level action. Alongside the main conference, I was able to engage several groups in partnerships. These include Ahmad Morsy, Nigeria-Egypt Chamber of Commerce, as well as Prof. Gevorg Tamamyan, head of OncoDaily group.
Powered by incredible political will, Egypt’s breast cancer program(under the leadership of Prof Hesham ElGhazaly and the Ministry of Health and Population), has made remarkable strides in early detection, diagnosis, and integrated care for women’s cancers. Since 2019, 56 million women have been screened, with 770,905 receiving examinations in the hospital, 410,194 total radiology examinations, 46,989 pathological tests and about 55,000 have received free treatment.
Its alignment with the WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative Framework positions it as a model of success that should inspire similar programs globally. A key outcome of this dialogue was the “Cairo Call to Action for Breast Cancer,” highlighting commitments to expand access to life-saving services for vulnerable populations.
Together with high-level health authorities, WHO leadership, Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), IARC – International Agency for Research on Cancer / World Health Organization, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) etc, we aim to ensure that no woman is left behind in the fight against breast cancer. This collaboration highlights the power of regional and global partnerships to transform cancer care and control. In this regard, I am further honored to join the Women for Oncology Egypt, led by Prof. Ola Khorshid and Prof. Lobna Sedky -Thank you for the invitation!
I extend my gratitude to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health of Egypt, H.E. Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, and Dr. Hesham ElGhazaly, Head of the Presidential Initiative on Women’s Health, Dr. Mary Nyangasi-Onyango, and my dear sister Prof Nermean Mostafa, for their warm welcome and leadership.
I deeply appreciate the many other amazing people responsible for hosting such a successful event.”
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