Omar Nimri, President of the Jordan Cancer Society, has been named a candidate for the UICC Board of Directors for the 2026–2028 term.
Based in Amman, Jordan, Dr Nimri is a physician and public health expert specialising in cancer epidemiology, prevention, and control. He brings extensive experience in cancer surveillance, national cancer-control planning, public health, and international collaboration.
The new UICC Board will be elected by UICC full-member organisations during the 2026 UICC General Assembly, which will take place virtually on October 20, 2026. Electronic voting will open on October 13 and close at 14:30 CEST on October 20.
Omar Nimri’s Career in Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention
Dr Nimri earned his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery in Pakistan in 1990 and subsequently completed training in traditional complementary medicine, community medicine, epidemiology, and cancer prevention through programmes in Sri Lanka, Jordan, the United States, France, and the University of Michigan.
He worked as a general physician with Jordan’s Ministry of Health from 1996 to 2002 before joining the Jordan Cancer Registry.
From 2008 to 2022, he served as Director of the Jordan Cancer Registry and Head of the Cancer Prevention and Control Department, where he contributed to national cancer-control strategies and worked with international organisations including the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), WHO, IAEA, UICC, and the Arab League.
His international work has included participation in initiatives such as the EUROMED Cancer Project and the Izmir Hub Advisory Committee.
Why Omar Nimri Is Running for the UICC Board
Dr Nimri said his decision to seek a position on the UICC Board is motivated by the organisation’s role in bringing together the international cancer community and addressing disparities in cancer care.
“I want to join the UICC Board because the UICC is the premier platform to unify the international cancer community and reduce the global cancer burden.”
He said he hopes to contribute to global health policy, resource mobilisation, national cancer-control planning, and efforts to make essential cancer diagnostics and treatments more affordable.
His proposed priorities include bridging gaps in cancer care, supporting capacity building, strengthening advocacy, and exploring new approaches to cancer financing.
“I aim to bridge care gaps, support capacity building, and strengthen global advocacy.”
Addressing Inequalities in Cancer Care
A central theme of Dr Nimri’s candidacy is reducing disparities in access to cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
Drawing on his experience in Jordanian public health and cancer control, he emphasised the importance of looking beyond individual national challenges and addressing the wider factors that contribute to unequal cancer outcomes.
He said his experience in strategic leadership, cross-border collaboration, and resource mobilisation could help UICC advance efforts to close these gaps.
“My governance expertise and the ability to look beyond local challenges and commitment to closing the care gap…”
Strengthening Cancer Financing and Access
Dr Nimri also highlighted resource mobilisation as an important area for global cancer control.
He said UICC can play a role in encouraging new financing approaches that could help make essential cancer diagnostics and therapeutics more affordable, particularly for health systems facing resource constraints.
His experience working with national and international stakeholders has involved linking cancer-control priorities with broader public health and policy objectives.
For Dr Nimri, strengthening access requires coordinated action involving governments, international organisations, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders.
Governance and Collaboration
Dr Nimri said his experience in governance and his ability to work across different sectors would allow him to contribute to the UICC Board.
He highlighted professional ethics, inclusivity, evidence-based action, and international collaboration as principles that align with his approach to cancer control.
“My professional ethics… directly mirror UICC’s core pillars of integrity, inclusivity, evidence-based action, and global collaboration.”
If elected, he said he would seek to use his experience to support UICC’s efforts to reduce the global cancer burden and strengthen cancer-control systems.
UICC Board Elections 2026
The 2026 UICC election will determine 14 members of the Board of Directors for the 2026–2028 term.
UICC full-member organisations will vote during the virtual General Assembly on October 20, 2026, following the opening of electronic voting on October 13.
The elected Board will help guide UICC’s work in cancer prevention, cancer control, health equity, access to care, health systems strengthening, and international collaboration.
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