Marrakech -HRH Princess Lalla Salma, chairwoman of the Lalla Salma Association for the Fight against Cancer (ALSC), presided, on Thursday in Marrakech, over the opening ceremony of the International Conference on Cancer Control in the Middle-East and Africa, scheduled January 12-14 in Marrakech.
Held by the ALSC, in partnership with the Health Ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO), the conference is themed “What strategy for preventing cervical cancer and facilitating cooperation and access to healthcare in the Middle-East and Africa?”
HRH Lalla Salma Proposes Setting Up A Middle East And Africa Regional Fund For Cancer Prevention And Treatment, The African Oncology School
Marrakech, January 12 –HRH Princess Lalla Salma, Chairwoman of the Lalla Salma Association for the Fight against Cancer (ALSC), proposed, on Thursday, the setting up of a Middle East and Africa regional fund for cancer prevention and treatment, and the African Oncology School. With a view to achieving the lofty objective of setting up an international fund for cancer treatment and prevention, “I suggest that we start with the creation of a Middle East and Africa regional fund for cancer prevention and treatment,” HRH Princess Lalla Salma underlined at the opening of the international conference on cancer control in the Middle-East and Africa held January 12-14 in Marrakech.
“Given the current economic and financial crisis besetting even major donor countries, we must rely on ourselves and our own resources to meet the challenges facing our countries in this area,” Princess Lalla Salma said.
She pointed out that “the most significant of these challenges is the training of qualified human resources, especially health professionals. Indeed, the latter play a pivotal role in the provision of treatment and of psychological and social support to patients and their families.”
Princess Lalla Salma also proposed the creation of the African Oncology School to train and upgrade the human resources needed in this area “to give concrete substance to our cooperation, especially with sister African nations.”
She drew attention to the scourge of cancer in the Middle East and Africa, recalling that “in 2010, the number of new cancer cases stood at more than one million, and close to 800,000 people died of the disease. HRH warned that “the situation is expected to get worse in the future. By the year 2020, there will be 1.5 million new cases, and 1 million deaths a year.”
Princess Lalla Salma noted that “cancer is not inevitable”, underscoring that “40% of cancer cases can be avoided through prevention and by reducing the causes that lead to this dreadful disease. Similarly, half the cancer cases can be cured if they are diagnosed early enough, and if the necessary treatment is available.”
“Statistics confirm that the cancer recovery rate among children has reached 95 per cent in developed countries,” she said, adding that “this prompts us to make the achievement of this goal a top priority in our cooperation relations, and to seek to attain this rate as soon as possible.
Showcasing Morocco’s experience in the field, mainly through ALSC’s actions, Princess Lalla Salma recalled that the setting up of new oncology centers in various parts of the Kingdom, coupled with the expansion and revamping of existing facilities have had a decisive impact on promoting the fight against the disease, be it in terms of early detection, easier access to treatment, provision of specialized medical care, and taking good care of patients and their families, particularly through the setting up of care homes next to each cancer center to accommodate patients and their relatives.
She emphasized the need to fight the scourge of smoking, which is spreading – especially among young people – and causes more than 30% of cancers.
“Tobacco producers and consumers, and indeed any party that has some kind of authority or responsibility in this area, should think about the large numbers of people who die each year, and the billions spent on the treatment of cancer patients because of the growing consumption of tobacco in the region,” she said.
“In view of the above, I call for laying the foundations of genuine, more balanced and more equitable cooperation between all countries. Such concrete cooperation should target specific areas, be based on effective means and mechanisms, and involve all the stakeholders concerned,” she concluded.
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