Princess Lalla Salma chairs cancer conference

During the closing session, recommendations and a document called “Marrakech Call” were presented to HRH Princess Lalla Salma. The conference was themed “What strategy for preventing cervical cancer and facilitating cooperation and access to healthcare in the Middle-East and Africa?”   The participants recommended the strengthening of South-South cooperation among countries in the region through the establishment of a Regional Fund for the prevention and treatment of cancer, the creation of an African Oncology School for the development of human skills, and the establishment of an inter-regional committee for the support and monitoring of programmes to prevent and fight against cancer in the region.       They also advocated the revision of health policies, the need to develop a national plan to prevent and control cancer, the establishment of a population register for the collection of data on cancer, and the monitoring of the situation of morbidity, mortality and impact of actions vis-à-vis the disease. The closing session of this event was also an opportunity to present a set of recommendations with aim of promoting access to care that must be done in a comprehensive manner involving chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery and palliative care provided in an integrated way in the health systems. Participants noted that access to care should be a priority in national political commitment from a very high level and requires the establishment of appropriate structures and using skilled human resources, taking into account the specificities of each country. They called upon the WHO to set up an international monitoring of anticancer drugs to provide countris with useful information such as prices, quality of medications and the centres for pre-qualified production. To support national efforts to implement national strategies to fight against cancer in countries of the region and improve access to care for cancer patients, the participants reiterated their strong support to the initiative of HRH Princess Lalla Salma to the creation of a Middle East-Africa regional fund for the prevention and treatment of cancer. The closing ceremony was also marked by the signature before HRH Princess Lalla Salma of six agreements for cooperation and twinning with the ALSC.    This three-day important international conference brought together over 300 participants around plenary sessions, presentations, lectures, debates and workshops addressing the crucial issue of the fight against cancer in the Middle East and Africa.