Ulrika Årehed Kågström, President of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and Secretary General of Cancerfonden, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Almost three years ago, Cancerfonden appointed an independent review committee to monitor how the EU’s cancer plan is being implemented in Sweden. The reason was simple: the EU’s Beating Cancer Plan is one of the most ambitious joint initiatives we have to reduce the burden of cancer in Europe, but its real value will be determined by how well the plan is implemented in each individual Member State.
The committee’s work is now coming to an end. And the picture is clear.
Sweden has a strong cancer care system and is well positioned in several areas compared to other countries. At the same time, we see that the work is not sufficiently concentrated. Differences in access to screening and vaccination risk creating unequal care, and the implementation of the plan requires clearer national coordination.
Cancer knows no national borders. That is precisely why common guidelines and frameworks are crucial – nationally, within the EU and globally. With cross-national collaborations, development is faster and more lives can be saved. Therefore, it is crucial that Sweden takes full advantage of the opportunities in the EU’s cancer plan and translates them into concrete action.
The review committee points to several important ways forward: stronger national coordination, a clearer state responsibility for screening and vaccination, increased national support for the regions’ participation in EU collaborations, and that the updated national cancer strategy is used as a governing tool.
I would like to extend a warm thank you to the Chairman of the Committee Anders Printz and members Peter Allebeck, Charlotta Dabrosin, Joakim Dillner, Gunvor Ericson, Gunilla Gunnarsson, Margareta Haag, Alexander Höglund and Liselotte Schaefer Elinder for your important work and commitment.
Read more about the committee’s mission, work and analyses here.”
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