ECHoS

From 20-22 May, Warsaw will host the first Cancer Mission Fair, an unprecedented event bringing together citizens, policymakers, researchers and innovators committed to improving cancer care and research across Europe.

Entitled Launch, Engage, Synergise!, this event will galvanise collaboration, public engagement, and innovation in cancer policy. It will include:

• The launch of the first National Cancer Mission Hub (NCMH) in Europe
• Interactive sessions, workshops and networking opportunities
• Participation from national and EU stakeholders, including patients and civil society organisations

As part of its pan-European Time to Accelerate campaign and the European Cancer Roadmap, ECO will co-host a high-level session on 21 May (11:00–12:30). 

Entitled ‘Together Against Cancer: Poland’, this session will:

• Highlight Poland’s cancer policy achievements and remaining challenges
• Feature input from key national decision-makers and experts
• Explore synergy between national priorities and EU cancer initiatives

Find more information here. 

Project Duration: May 2023 to May 2026

Cancer healthcare, research and innovation face core common challenges, such as fragmentation of initiatives and distancing from important stakeholders, requiring coordinated solutions. These challenges are recognized in Horizon Europe’s Cancer Mission Implementation Plan and in Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.

The proposal Establishing of Cancer Mission Hubs: Networks and Synergies (ECHoS) represents a unique opportunity to coordinate R&I and Healthcare actions on cancer with policy-making processes creating transnational communication & collaboration networks aligned with Cancer Mission objectives. Experiences show that the setup and implementation of innovative health solutions are more likely to be successful when a broad range of stakeholders and decision-makers from the public and private sectors are part of the process. By fostering the creation of National Cancer Mission Hubs (NCMHs) in member states and associated countries, ECHoS will create the conditions for organized stakeholders and individual citizens to collaborate and engage in policy dialogues. Implementing the Cancer Mission objectives will promote more resilient and people-centric healthcare and research systems.

ECHoS will produce:

1. General models and guidelines for the creation of sustainable NCMHs
2. A knowledge exchange programme to support the development of NCMHs competences
3. Impact models and training sets to help efficiently engage with distinct stakeholders
4. A toolkit for synergies to help NCMH engage in collaborative work with individual European Initiatives
5. A business continuity model envisaging long-term sustainability of an EU network of NCMHs 
6. A calendar of events to create awareness of NCMHs and to help close the gap in citizens’ participation in cancer policy

In summary, ECHoS will create conditions for NCMHs to be Mission Cancer advocates in Member States/AC and set the pace for developing a transnational network of NCMHs in a second phase. The project is led by Agencia de Investigação Clínica e Inovação Biomédica (AICIB).

Within ECHoS, ECO is supporting WP4 to ensure robust policy dialogue at all levels and WP6 on organising transnational events to stimulate engagement with the project's stakeholders.

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement Nº101104587.