(Pakistan Point News - 20th Feb, 2023) SHARJAH, 20th February, 2023 (WAM) – The Sharjah Declaration 3.0, which aims to eliminate cervical cancer in the Eastern Mediterranean and Arab Region (EMRO), was unveiled at the recent 3rd Cervical Cancer Forum (CCF).
The declaration was endorsed by representatives of governments, academia, international organisations, and advocates. The signatories committed to increased investment in cervical cancer prevention, screening, and treatment programmes, advocacy for the development and implementation of regional and national cervical cancer strategies, collaborative capacity-building efforts, and better use of evidence-based decision-making. The forum was organised by Friends of Cancer Patients (FOCP) and sponsored by MSD, with the participation of over 2,800 attendees and 31 speakers. The two-day forum featured discussions on eliminating cervical cancer as a public health concern, including HPV vaccination, screening, and cervical cancer treatment.
Addressing the attendees, Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention and Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs, highlighted the UAE's commitment to healthcare, scientific research, and innovative policies that have positioned the country as a regional and international leader in the fight against HPV and cervical cancer. He acknowledged the successful partnership with key stakeholders and the Friends of Cancer Patients in launching the National Cancer Control Plan and incorporating the HPV vaccine into the national vaccination program, achieving an 82 percent coverage rate for two doses. Al Owais expressed the collective goal of shaping the future of healthcare and improving the health and well-being of the community.
Sawson Jaafar, Chairperson of Friends of Cancer Patients (FOCP) board of Directors, expressed gratitude for hosting the third Cervical Cancer Forum 2023 in partnership with the UNFPA and the participation of local, regional, and international organizations. The collective goal of the attendees is to eliminate cervical cancer by making progress, developing an action plan, and committing to the goals.
Ashraf Mallak, Managing Director, MSD GCC, emphasised the significant threat that cervical cancer poses to women worldwide and the company's commitment to reducing its spread and impact on people's lives. Mallak reiterated the shared vision of a world free of HPV-related diseases and cancers and expressed the company's commitment to collaborate with others in making the goal of eliminating cervical cancer a reality.
Speaking at the keynote session titled 'Update on Regional Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy,' Dr. Lamia Mohmoud, Regional Adviser, Noncommunicable Diseases Prevention (NCP) (WHO-EMRO) highlighted the development of the regional cervical cancer elimination strategy through a comprehensive and inclusive process. The process involved a regional survey in 2022 to understand the bottlenecks for implementing the global strategy, engagement with 20 out of 22 member states in the region to gather information on the ground, and exploring three streams of work proposed in the global strategy: HPV vaccination, HPV screening, and cervical cancer treatment.
Dr. Mohmoud emphasised the need for a collective effort towards the goal of eliminating cervical cancer.
Dr. Hala Youssuf, Reproductive Health Adviser, stated, "The Sharjah Forum's declarations demonstrate a strong commitment to advocacy, cooperation, data utilisation, and endorsement of a monitoring framework. Today, UNFPA-ASRO and FOCP reaffirm our unwavering dedication to cervical cancer elimination actions in the region. We highly appreciate the countries' support in collecting data and information that enables us to monitor the progress of cervical cancer prevention strategies and roadmaps. During our first Sharjah Cervical Cancer Forum in 2019, UNFPA-ASRO and FoCP embarked on a journey to eliminate cervical cancer from the region. Four years later, UNFPA-ASRO remains fully committed to this vision. Let us continue to build momentum in our cervical cancer elimination efforts and respond to the commitments made in the Sharjah declarations."
