- Arequipa joined City Cancer Challenge’s global network of cities in January and is now working with multi-sector support to improve access to quality cancer care
- Meeting attended by broad cross-section of leaders and experts in cancer control, representing civil society and public and private institutions.
Arequipa, 16 June. Arequipa’s City Executive Committee (CEC) met yesterday for the first time in the southwestern Peruvian city, calling for equal access to quality cancer care within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between City Cancer Challenge Foundation(C/Can) and city authorities in May.
Composed of prominent leaders and experts in cancer control, the CEC represents a broad range of sectors and is tasked with becoming the decision-making body for effective and efficient discussions and analysis of the city’s cancer control situation. With the support of C/Can, the city will advance through the process with the goal of achieving consensus during the needs assessment and project planning phase, underscored by a commitment to creating solutions for and by people affected by cancer.
The CEC’s inaugural meeting was attended by representatives of C/Can, the Ministry of Health, the Regional Health Management of Arequipa, the National Institute of Neoplastic Diseases, the main public and private providers and funders of the health sector, universities and local professional associations, as well as representatives of civil society, including the Peruvian Society of Medical Oncology – South Branch, the Peruvian Cancer Foundation, the SOS Angelitos de Cristal of Haematology and Oncology Association, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Arequipa and the National Association of Pharmaceutical Laboratories (ALAFARPE).
In his capacity as President of the Committee Victor Palacios, Executive Director of Cancer Prevention and Control at the Peruvian Ministry of Health, oversaw the inaugural meeting. Greeting fellow members, he highlighted the work being carried out at the national level to guarantee universal, free and priority coverage of health services for all oncology patients, with the aim of ensuring equal access to the fundamental right to health: “The search for comprehensive and sustainable solutions through the planning and implementation of interventions at the regional and local level will allow for comprehensive, equitable and quality care for oncology patients, within the framework of the National Cancer Law and its regulations,” he said.
Berenice Rodriguez, C/Can’s Arequipa City Manager, said the meeting was the starting point for a transformation that would see multiple actors and stakeholders from the public, private and civil society sectors work together to collectively co-create cancer solutions. She added that the C/Can model would not just impact Arequipa, but would be scaled up to national level thanks to the support of a network of global, regional and local partners committed to building a healthier and more sustainable community.
