Runcie Chidebe, Executive Director at Project PINK BLUE, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“In my estimation, one of the biggest news from the recently concluded AORTIC- Africa Conference is the announcement that the 2027 World Cancer Leaders Summit will happen in Nairobi, Kenya.
I have been attending WCLS since 2015, it is a summit for discussing high-level policy issues in relation to cancer control. It is a gathering of CEOs, Founders, Government officials, leaders, leading scientists and a select of NGO leaders. It’s not a summit for everyone. It is a summit for people who represent groups and population and disease areas. The 2015 WCLS in Istanbul was huge and 2017 in Mexico City and many others.
For example, the 2015 WCLS marked the launch of Cancer Atlas – a key document for cancer data and advocacy by IARC – International Agency for Research on Cancer / World Health Organization, American Cancer Society and Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) .
On this premise, this summit is crucial in defining the global oncology challenges and exploring sustainable solutions through the lens of global collaboration and policy.
I am proud to say that Africa is ready to drive progress in cancer control and I can confirm that the global community is committed as well. Today, we have so many African government leaders and health ministers leading changes in cancer control including radiotherapy access, HPV vaccination, workforce training, funding for cancer care, newer world class cancer centres, more patients are surviving and becoming advocates.
AORTIC now has a cancer journal, and many important milestones. I am also happy that the global community is now providing platforms for Africans more than ever- we now have a The Lancet Regional Health – Africa for Africa by Africans, we have a UICC President-Elect from Africa (Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu ), we have many diverse platforms for Africans to share its commitment with the global communities.
Congratulations to Africa, African Union and all African advocates. The hashtag#WCLS is happening in a continent that may face the biggest burden of cancer by 2040. We will take this opportunity to deepen our understanding to global cancer control and explore newer approaches to addressing the challenges. Thanks to Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), Ulrika Årehed Kågström , UICC President , Dr Cary Adams UICC CEO and the UICC board and team for taking up this huge challenge.
Let’s do this Africa is ready!
Congratulations to all who made it happen. Special thanks to H.E. Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu , I remember your several emails and meetings on this issue in 2023 and 2024.
Photo Credit: H.E. Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu during the announcement in Tunisia.”
You Can Also Read: Africa at the Center: World Cancer Leaders’ Summit 2027 Comes to Nairobi
