ECO signs an MoU with the World Health Organization

Geneva, 18 October 2022:  At the Union for International Cancer Control’s World Cancer Congress, the European Cancer Organisation (ECO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Health Organization (WHO) at their event Amplifying the experience of individuals affected by cancer.

We are proud of our ongoing work with WHO/Europe as a Non-State Actor, and signing this agreement allows us to build on our relationship with the WHO global team.

Our official collaboration with WHO is focused on four main areas:

• War in Ukraine and its impact on cancer patients and cancer services

We are helping prepare for the rebuilding of cancer services in Ukraine and surrounding countries by gathering critical data for WHO and other stakeholders, keeping them informed of the situation on the ground. We do this through the ECO-ASCO Special Network: Impact of the War in Ukraine on Cancer and by co-chairing the EU Health Policy Platform Network on supporting Ukraine, neighbouring EU Member States, and Moldova.

Our reports include:

-Cancer Medicines Shortages in Surrounding Countries During the War in Ukraine - Results from a Pilot Survey

-New Survey Shows War in Ukraine Impacting Cancer Care in Neighbouring Countries

“Together with our Special Network on the Impact of the War in Ukraine on Cancer, we will work closely with WHO to address the devastating outcomes of the war, including rebuilding cancer services both in Ukraine and neighbouring countries impacted by the refugee crisis,” said Andreas Charalambous, the president of the European Cancer Organisation.  

• Lived experience of patients, their loved ones, and caregivers

We support WHO’s meaningful engagement of people affected by cancer. We do this by consulting our Patient Advisory Committee and providing technical input and dissemination support for the WHO Lived Experience Survey of those affected by cancer to be launched this month.

• Cervical Cancer Elimination – HPV

We are pleased to collaborate on the implementation of the Global Strategy for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer.

Our HPV Action Network continues to release reports with helpful recommendations for policy-makers at the EU level. These include:

-Putting HPV on the Map: The State of HPV Prevention Programmes in the WHO European Region

-Improving HPV Vaccine Uptake in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults: An Umbrella Review of Interventions

• Cancer inequalities

Together, we are highlighting priority indicators for monitoring cancer-related inequalities. ECO has multiple inequalities, data-driven projects, including the Time To Act Data Navigator, which has just undergone an upgrade, and the European Cancer Pulse, which will be launched at European Cancer Summit 2022 next month.