Hadi Mohamad Abu Rasheed, Scientific Advisor at the Qatar Cancer Society and Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Doha for Science and Technology, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“The urgency for a coordinated global response to cancer has never been greater – and that spirit is exactly why we gathered in Melbourne for the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit 2025 (WCLS25) under the theme ‘Bridging Divides, Building Futures.”
As Scientific Advisor at Qatar Cancer Society (QCS), I carried our region’s realities to the Summit and came back with a sharper sense of what we must do next.
1. Prevention wins when trust leads
In our session, ‘Vision 2030: Transformative Strategies to Prevent HPV-Related Cancers’ – supported by MSD and NOMAN is an Island: Race to End HPV – we explored how to move faster on cervical cancer elimination.
From the EMRO/MENA lens, one message was clear: misinformation is best countered by trusted local influencers and community gatekeepers, not technical voices alone.
I was proud to spotlight the MENA Coalition for HPV Elimination as a regional engine for gender-neutral vaccination, stronger screening pathways, and shared tools.
2. A shared roadmap for the next decade
The new World Cancer Declaration 2025–2035 offers a practical framework to guide countries, WHO partners, civil society, and cancer NGOs toward measurable impact, especially through UHC and sustainable financing.
I was honoured to contribute to the regional perspectives panel and to serve as a table host, hearing powerful ideas on equity and implementation from across the world.
I’m grateful to Cancer Council Western Australia and our Australian hosts for a truly inspiring and gracious summit experience. In the spirit of respect, I acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we met and honour Elders past, present, and emerging.
Partnerships that can move the needle
At QCS, we’re energized by potential collaborations with OncoDaily, London Global Cancer Week, Global Health Dynamics, World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition, Global Medical Knowledge Alliance, Know Your Lemons Foundation, Baheya Foundation, KILELE Health Association/African Cervical Health Alliance, McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer, American Cancer Society, World Health Organization – and by reconnecting with our partners in International Cancer Patient Coalition and All.Can International.
To policymakers and cancer NGOs:
- Which World Cancer Declaration target is your country furthest from today?
- What one policy or system change would move you fastest toward it?
If your ministry, parliament, or NGO is localizing the Declaration into an NCCP, HPV strategy, or UHC package, I’d be keen to connect and share what we are building at QCS.
Looking ahead to the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) World Cancer Congress 2026 in Hong Kong and WCLS 2027 in Nairobi to keep this momentum alive.”
More posts featuring Hadi Mohamad Abu Rasheed.
