Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu: Global Coalition Urges World Health Leaders to Prioritise Ovarian Cancer in the Fight for Women’s Health

Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu shared on LinkedIn:

“Global Coalition Urges World Health Leaders to Prioritise Ovarian Cancer in the Fight for Women’s Health

Toronto, Canada, April 8, 2024 (ONE WEEK AGO)- In an unprecedented call to action, the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition has today released a startling Data Briefing, alongside a global petition, emphasizing the urgent need to recognize ovarian cancer as a global health priority. The Coalition’s findings and petition signify a pivotal moment for the global ovarian cancer community, as projections indicate nearly twelve million women will be diagnosed and eight million will die from the disease by 2050.

The 2024 World Ovarian Cancer Coalition Ovarian Cancer Data Briefing reveals that the incidence and mortality rates of ovarian cancer are set to surge by 55% and almost 70% respectively by 2050, with the greatest increases projected in low- and middle-income countries. The ominous mortality prediction alone surpasses the population of cities like Hong Kong and is more than double that of Los Angeles, underscoring the devastating scale of the crisis at hand.

In response to these findings, a petition addressed to the World Health Organization and health leaders worldwide has been initiated, calling for immediate recognition of ovarian cancer as a global health priority. The petition, encapsulating the Coalition’s No Woman Left Behind movement and launched in time for next month’s 12th World Ovarian Cancer Day campaign, stresses the necessity for comprehensive action across prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care, particularly focusing on mitigating the disparities and inequalities that exacerbate the disease’s impact.

The Coalition’s briefing and petition highlight the escalating human and economic toll of ovarian cancer, which not only devastates families, friends, and communities but also inflicts significant financial burdens on the global economy. Clara MacKay, CEO, asserts, “With hundreds of thousands of women dying each year, we must work together to make significant improvements in ovarian cancer management, so we can avert the loss of millions more lives.”

In the face of this mounting crisis, the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition urges the global health community to:

1) Recognize ovarian cancer as a global health priority.

2) Integrate ovarian cancer into global women’s health initiatives and National Cancer Control Plans.

3) Address health inequities to ensure access to care and treatment is universal.

‘As the data shows, without immediate and coordinated action, millions of women will be left behind,’ commented Board of Directors Chair, Annwen Jones OBE. ‘Our call to action is a rallying cry for a shared global commitment to change the future of this disease, and to work towards our vision of a world where everyone living with, or at risk of, ovarian cancer has the best chance of survival and the best quality of life possible, no matter where they live. The time to act is now.’”

Video attached to the post.
Source: Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu/LinkedIn

Her Excellency Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu is the First Lady of Kebbi State, a global cancer advocate, a pediatrician, a UICC Board Member, a Founder of the Medicaid Cancer Foundation, and the Chairperson of First Ladies Against Cancer (FLAC), a coalition of the spouses of current and former state governors in Nigeria who are working to address gaps in the cancer continuum of care. In her role as the First Lady of Kebbi State, Dr Bagudu is working with the state ministries of health, education, and women affairs to implement programs to sustainably improve menstrual hygiene, girl-child education, economic empowerment of women, and put an end to gender-based violence. Her Excellency is a member of the Editorial Board of OncoDaily.