In May, the second Meeting of the WHO Non-state-actors took place In response to calls from an informal coalition of over 70 non-governmental organisations and individuals led by INCTR, Commonwealth Ministers of Health and their representatives discussed the issue of Cervical Cancers and Endemic Children’s Cancers at their recent meeting in Geneva (21 May 2017). Senior leaders from African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer, Cancer Association of South Africa, Childhood Cancer International, International Gynecological Cancer Society, International Society of Paediatric oncology (SIOP), PATH, Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon, St Jude Global, UICC, World Child Cancer, and as well as clinicians, academicians and cancer advocates from 27 countries joined INCTR in a letter to Baroness Scotland, the newly appointed Commonwealth Secretary General.
In the letter, a later version of which was published and supported by a strong editorial in the April 2017 issue of Lancet Oncology, they urged the Commonwealth to share its wealth of experience in addressing cancer issues and to use its membership structure to support the improvements in and scaling up of HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening services, and the Investigation of the links between controlling infectious diseases and cancer incidence in children.
At the meeting in Geneva, chaired by the Hon Dr George Pamboridis (Minister of Health of Cyprus), the Hon Prof Isaac Adewole, Minister of Health for the Federal Government of Nigeria and formerly President AORTIC, made an effective presentation on the issue of Cervical Cancer. Commonwealth Ministers have now agreed that the theme for the next CHMM in 2018 should be "Enhancing the global fight against NCDs; raising awareness, mobilising resources and ensuring accessibility to universal coverage."