The 10th Stop Cervical, Breast and Pro state Cancer in Africa Conference that was being held in Ethiopia over the past four days. The conference was held under the theme “A decade of Accomplishments and the challenges ahead.”
The conference created a forum to galvanize existing partnerships and chart concrete steps and new ways to tap the required resources in Africa and around the world needed to fund cervical, breast and prostate cancer prevention.
Members of African parliaments, Heads of State, African First Ladies, leaders of cancer institutes, researchers, UN agencies, and others participated in the conference which concluded issuing a communique.
10TH STOP CERVICAL, BREAST & PROSTATE CANCER IN AFRICA CONFERENCE (SCCA)
THEME: A DECADE OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS, OUR ENDURING LEGACIES AND CHALLENGES AHEAD
AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION, ADDIS ABABA-ETHIOPIA
24-27 JULY 2016
CONFERENCE COMMUNIQUÉ
We, the delegates of the 10th Stop Cervical, Breast and Prostate Cancer Conference in Africa, do note and acknowledge with great concern the growing burden of cervical, breast and prostate cancer in Africa and its damaging effect on our communities, nations and the entire region.
We further acknowledge that the incidence of cervical, breast and prostate cancer is rapidly rising with some parts of the Africa reporting the highest rates of cervical cancer of up to 40 cases per 100,000 women. This is further confounded with highest maternal mortality rate in the region resulting in unacceptably high number of women deaths.
Although cervical, breast and prostate cancer are largely preventable and treatable when detected early, it is observed that inadequate investments in the infrastructure for prevention, early detection, treatment and palliative care resulting in very high incidence, morbidity and very appalling five-year survival rate.
Under the theme of Decade of Accomplishments, Our Enduring Legacies and Challenges ahead, we the delegates of the 10th Stop Cervical, Breast & Prostate Cancer Conference deliberated and agreed upon the following:
1. Share lessons from our successful programmes, dialogue on our common challenges and look forward to scaling up regional efforts in the fight against cancer in general and cervical, breast and prostate cancer in particular
2. Use all available venues and platforms to speak loudly and clearly on the significant role of prevention while cognizant of expanding access to treatment and care for those diagnosed with cancer.
3. Intensify wider public awareness through involvement all stakeholders particularly religious, traditional and community leaders as well as civil society organizations and media.
4. Engage in targeted advocacy and collaboration towards improving access to Human Papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine and incorporation of the same into the national vaccination programme
5. Explore and promote use of innovative technologies to advance cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment and palliative care with particular focus on highly preventable cancers like cervical, breast and prostate cancer.
6. Prioritize Non-Communicable Disease including cancer in every national, regional, global health agenda.
7. Improve our evidence base through strengthening national cancer registries and utilization of the same for planning, policy development and implementation of interventions on cancer
8. Invest in human resource development for cancer to create competent cancer workforce by taking advantage of experience sharing, knowledge transfer, networking, and by using available technologies.
9. Mobilize and allocate resources for cancer control and care to as much level as the depth and magnitude of cancer deserves.
10. Support the Forum of African First Ladies Against Breast, Cervical & Prostate Cancer in advocating for African Governments to initiate, fund and implement national cervical cancer programme.
