THE INTERNATIONAL CANCER CONGRESS IN OSLO: Within just one year, UICC and its President John Seffrin will organise a new summit to set an agenda for meeting the new challenges associated with cancer. That much was clarified when key representatives of a number of leading anti-cancer factions met over a working lunch at the international cancer congress on Monday, 1 July. The meeting was the first of its kind.
Stener Kvinnsland is pleased that Oslo was the venue when representatives of volunteer organisations, NGOs, industry and health organisations decided to join forces.
"It is most gratifying to note that we are all working together to explore ways to establish an organisational structure and form of co-operation to better equip us to meet the challenges associated with cancer in the years ahead", stated the president of the 18th UICC International Cancer Congress.
Dismal figures
Cancer is an immense and growing problem. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that there will be 15 million new cases of cancer annually on a world-wide basis just 20 years from now. Developing countries are now surpassing developed countries when it comes to the number of new cases of cancer. In 20 years, no less than 70 per cent of all cancer cases will occur in developing countries.
"Good health is a prerequisite for development", underlined Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director General of the WHO, at the working lunch.
"Disease threatens both economic and socio-economic development. Given its dimensions, cancer constitutes our most serious threat against public h
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Contact: Hanna Hanes
hhaanes@online.no
47-90-15-60-40
Norwegian Cancer Society
5-Jul-2002