Health entities can benefit from shared experiences of healthcare professionals and cancer patients, say panelists at an exclusive CGCC session

Sharjah, 23 November 2022

In a special session titled ‘Power of Patient Knowledge: Patients’ Voice in National Cancer Control Planning’, an engaging panel of experts came together to highlight the importance of patient understanding in providing optimum disease care and prevention at the 5th Combined Global Cancer Conference (CGCC).

At the plenary session held on the sidelines of the event, hosted by leading biopharmaceutical company MSD, health specialists also addressed the process of engaging patients in control and prevention planning. 

During the session, MSD reaffirmed its commitment to facilitating access to healthcare services through inclusive policies, programmes and partnerships. Today, the company continues to champion the research that seeks to elevate the level of prevention and control of all diseases that threaten individuals and communities worldwide.

Dr Suad Ben Amer, Founder of Zahra Breast Cancer Association - KSA, lauded the efforts of the health ministries in the GCC for striving to achieve excellence with rigour. “While there is still a long way to go to achieve our goals, we constantly encourage our patients to communicate needs and share experiences so as to address them accordingly,” she said. 

The session included MSD representatives who highlighted that governments are the primary stakeholders in national cancer patient care plans and they  underscored the importance of having good governance that ensures fundamental sufficient funding, as surveillance and monitoring are essential to evaluate performance and bridge the gaps. In its efforts to enhance cancer care services, MSD established a forum for female cancer patients. 

Katarina Gralén,  (IHE) – Sweden, showcased a report including the analysis on the burden of disease for cancer and recommendations on how to improve the situation for cancer patient care across the region. She underscored the importance of combating cancer, given that it is the second leading cause of deaths in the region “Our recent report covering nine MEA countries indicated that the number of new cancer cases will almost double from 410,000 to 720,000 cases per year between 2020 and 2040, and almost half of them will encounter premature deaths. We need to handle cancer comprehensively to reduce the risks and improve the quality of life of patients based on scientific research and innovation, and achieve equal access to care,” she said.

The three-day conference is set to conclude tomorrow with sessions addressing the survival and reintegration of patients into the society.