Ulrika Årehed Kågström, President of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and Secretary General of Cancerfonden, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“What a turnout! The other day, we Cancerfonden gathered over 100 participants from regional politics, the business community and patient associations for a webinar on how well Sweden’s regions are working in line with the EU’s cancer plan. The commitment says something important: the issue is both urgent and urgent.
The EU’s Beating Cancer Plan sets the bar high for Europe’s work against cancer: fewer people will fall ill, more people will survive and care within and between EU member states will be more equal.
Almost three years ago, we at the Swedish Cancer Society appointed an independent review committee to investigate how Sweden is working to meet the goals of the plan. The report that has now been presented confirms what we have long pointed out: the differences between the regions are too great in, for example, screening, vaccination and diagnostics. In addition, the opportunity to benefit from common EU funds is very unequal and often reserved for larger regions.
Equal cancer care requires clear coordination and leadership that holds the whole together. In Sweden, there are still patients who choose to register with a relative in another region in the hope of better care. It shouldn’t have to be that way. With the updated National Cancer Strategy and the EU’s Beating Cancer Plan as a framework, we can change that.
From the Swedish Cancer Society’s side, we have long argued that key issues such as screening and vaccination should be controlled and coordinated to a greater extent nationally. It is therefore gratifying that the conclusions of the Scrutiny Committee so clearly confirm this direction.
Thank you to all of you who listened to the conversation and to the panelists Mef Nilbert, Kjell Ivarsson, Alexander Höglund and Margareta Haag.
And thank you to the review committee for your solid work։ Liselotte Schaefer Elinder, Peter Allebeck, Alexander Höglund, Anders Printz, Joakim Dillner, Margareta Haag, Charlotta Dabrosin, Gunvor G Ericson, Gunilla Gunnarson.”
More posts featuring Ulrika Årehed Kågström.