Members' corner

ALSAC/St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC) is the fundraising and awareness organisation for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. It is dedicated solely to raising the funds and awareness necessary to support the work of St. Jude in advancing cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. ALSAC coordinates the fundraising activities of 12 million active donors and more than 1 million volunteers, raising $2.4 billion in FY23. Through the St. Jude Global Alliance, ALSAC shares fundraising knowledge and expertise with foundations worldwide by providing education, training, and global conferences. St. Jude has set an ambitious goal to raise global survival rates for six of the most common types of childhood cancer from less than 20 percent to 60 percent by 2030. It’s part of a six-year, $12.9 billion strategic plan that will accelerate progress in treatment and care for children with cancer around the world.

Network of AIDS Services Organization (NASO)

Network of AIDS Services Organization (NASO) is a civil society organisation established in 2005. NASO’s intervention strategies are prevention, capacity building, advocacy, human rights, research and capitalisation, treatment, cross border and psychosocial support. 

NASO works in the areas of HIV and cancer, focusing on cervical and liver cancer. NASO has trained twenty-five health professionals from public institutions in all the regions of The Gambia on the provision of cervical cancer services, provided annual VIA screening materials for 17 public health facilities, facilitated the referral of more than 100 patients to the nearest main referral health facility for access to services, contributed to the treatment of 8 cervical cancer patients within and outside The Gambia, established a networking and sharing platform for more than 50 health professionals on cancer service delivery, and started a research on the prevalence of cervical cancer among women living with HIV in The Gambia.

EUROPA DONNA - The European Breast Cancer Coalition

Europa Donna – The European Breast Cancer Coalition is an independent nonprofit organisation whose members are affiliated groups from countries throughout Europe. The Coalition works to raise awareness of breast cancer and to mobilise the support of European people in pressing for improved breast cancer education, appropriate screening, optimal treatment and increased funding for research. Europa Donna has national groups in 47 member countries.

Warriors With A Purpose

Warriors With A Purpose creates cancer awareness,  education,  hope and support to both adults and kids fighting the cancer battle.  WWAP also creates cancer awareness and aids in ending period poverty at schools in both Gauteng and Kwa-Zulu Province South Africa for both Primary and High schools.

Currently, Warriors With A Purpose has 3 Projects in place towards the cancer battle:

• Pink Bra Project 
• Toiletry Pack Project 
• Sanitary Pads 

Throughout the year, Warriors With A Purpose hosts various drives and events, raising public and community awareness and making families understand better what to expect should their loved ones be diagnosed with this disease.  Warriors With A Purpose also hosts a support group for all Cancers. 

Warriors With A Purpose's goal is to make a difference in many lives through motivational speaking and full support.

Membership Survey 2024

Two years ago, UICC conducted a Membership Survey in conjunction with its Strategy Review, incorporating your input into its development efforts. We took your comments and ideas to heart, making adjustments and improvements to how we work and communicate with our members. 

To ensure we continue to serve our members effectively, we will soon launch the 2024 Membership Survey. We encourage all members to complete the online survey. Further details will be sent to members by email. We greatly appreciate your participation, and one respondent will win a free registration to the World Cancer Congress 2024, to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 17-19 September 2024.

We will share the key results of the survey with you in the coming weeks. Thank you for your support in strengthening the global cancer community!

The World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition proudly launches its new initiative for Bladder Cancer Awareness Month

The World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition proudly launches its new initiative for Bladder Cancer Awareness Month, starting May 1st. They aim to spark conversations that raise awareness about bladder cancer by highlighting the symptoms of bladder cancer and overcoming any barriers to seeking medical advice.

Their campaign introduces "Spot the Drop" - an engaging online game which connects seeing red to taking action by challenging your reaction time. You can see how you stack up against famous sports stars or even compare yourself to professions that rely on quick reflexes.

But there's more than just fun and games: "Spot the Drop" emphasises the importance of early detection and prompt medical attention if symptoms arise, highlighting how prompt action directly impacts early diagnosis and survival rates.

Play the game, test your reaction, share it with your community, and help spread awareness about the importance of early detection.

How else can you get involved this May?

There are a number of different ways that you can join the community and lend your support this Bladder Cancer Awareness Month. The World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition has resources in over 9 languages on their Padlet on this page.

The first cancer hospital for children in Romania paves the way for a medical campus

The Give Life Association (Dăruiește Viață), a UICC member organisation led by Carmen Uscatu and Oana Gheorghiu, has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by completing Romania's first paediatric hospital exclusively dedicated to cancer and severe illnesses in Bucharest. In the face of challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, this ambitious project, initiated two years ago, not only signifies the construction of a hospital but also a transformative shift in healthcare delivery for paediatric cancer in Romania. With support from over 350,000 individuals and 8,000 companies, the hospital spans 12,000 square meters, housing advanced medical facilities, including the country's first Paediatric Radiotherapy Department in a public children's hospital, addressing a critical gap in the healthcare system.

However, the completion of the hospital was not without hurdles. The Give Life Association, while rallying support for the project, concurrently mobilised resources to aid frontline health workers during the pandemic and distribute protective and medical equipment nationwide. As the hospital begins its operations, focus shifts to the next phase of development—an additional building to create a comprehensive medical campus. This endeavour continues to rely on the generosity and support of donors and the broader community, including notable contributors like ENGIE, OMNIASIG, and Raiffeisen Bank, emphasising Romania's commitment to elevated healthcare standards and holistic care for paediatric patients and their families. For more information read the following article: The first cancer hospital for children in Romania paves the way for a medical campus | UICC

Fact sheets on the effects of alcohol use

Many people are not aware of the negative health effects of alcohol use. Even more, only few people know that drinking alcohol – already in low amounts – increases the risk for cancer. Besides increasing cancer risk, alcohol use is involved in the development of about 200 diseases. It doesn’t matter, whether you drink beer, wine or spirits, it’s the alcohol itself which is harmful.

This small series of factsheets on just two pages each shows several harmful effects of alcohol use: most important, the association between alcohol use and cancer risk, but also other health effects of alcohol use, alcohol dependence and why you never should drink alcohol when using medicines without consulting your doctor. Extremely harmful is drinking alcohol during pregnancy, as this may harm the unborn child and may cause lifelong physical and mental impairments and behavioral problems.

For more information visit the links to the factsheets:

• Factsheet on alcohol and cancer
• Factsheet on adverse health effects due to alcohol use
• Factsheet on alcohol dependence
• Factsheet on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

The other victims of Advanced Breast Cancer

UICC member ABC Global Alliance's latest campaign, 'The Other Victims of Advanced Breast Cancer,' is an initiative driven by real-life stories from around the world. The campaign aims to spotlight the often-overlooked impact of this disease on partners, children, parents and other loved ones of advanced breast cancer/metastatic breast cancer patients. It emphasises the profound ripple effect when patients do not receive timely and adequate treatment.

The campaign encourages you to explore the website www.abcglobalalliance.org, where you can discover ways to contribute to positive change.

ABC Global Alliance is a nonprofit organisation, and a multistakeholder platform based in Portugal. It brings together individuals and organizations dedicated to advancing, promoting, and supporting concrete improvements. The collective goal is to raise awareness and drive actions that contribute to enhancing and extending the lives of patients worldwide who are living with ABC/mBC.

GIAHC and Public Health Research Institute of India (PHRII)'s Cervical Cancer Prevention Campaign (CCPC) Report

The report details a campaign by UICC member Global Initiative Against HPV and Cervical Cancer (GIAHC) and Public Health Research Institute of India (PHRII) to raise HPV awareness on and around March 4th, International HPV Awareness Day (IHAD). The program was aimed at raising awareness among young adults and health care professionals in-training in Mysuru, aligning with WHO’s Global Strategy for Cervical Cancer Elimination. The purpose of this programme was to deliver tested and effective communication toolkits to improve awareness about risk factors, health literacy, and behaviour change for communities in areas of HPV, HPV vaccine and cervical cancer prevention and then plan for future activities that will promote cervical cancer prevention through screening and vaccination in Mysuru, Karnataka, India. 

Click here to access the report.