• English
  • Français
  • العربية
Follow us
Union for the Mediterranean – UfMUnion for the Mediterranean – UfMUnion for the Mediterranean – UfMUnion for the Mediterranean – UfM     Mediterranean Day
  • Who we are
    • Who we are

      The Union for the Mediterranean is an intergovernmental institution bringing together the European Union Member States and 16 countries from the Southern and Eastern shores of the Mediterranean to promote dialogue and cooperation.

      Overview   

    • Who we are

      • Member States
      • Meet the team
      • Partners
      • History
    • Key documents

      UfM Annual Report 2021 Regional Integration
  • What we do
    • Notre action

      The UfM seeks to enhance regional cooperation, dialogue and the implementation of concrete projects and initiatives with tangible impact on our citizens to address three strategic objectives: human development, stability and integration.

      Overview   

    • Inclusive Development

      • Economic Development and Employment
      • Higher Education & Research
      • Social & Civil Affairs

      Sustainable development

      • Water, Environment and Blue Economy
      • Transport & Urban Development
      • Energy & Climate Action
    • How we work

      • Political Framework
      • Regional Dialogue Platforms
      • Projects and Initiatives
  • Work with us
    • The UfM Secretariat is the operational platform of the Union for the Mediterranean. The staff of the UfM is made of more than 17 nationalities working in a multicultural environment that fosters cooperation and intercultural communication and exchange.

    • Work with us

      • Vacancies
      • Secondments
      • Internships
      • Procurement
      • Roster of experts
  • Info center
    • Info center

      Find our latest press releases, press invitations, visual identity, key institutional documents, photos and other relevant information


      Download the UfM Visual Identity Guidelines and Logos (zip file)   

    • Info center

      • Media corner
      • News
      • Agenda
      • Publications and key documents
      • Human Stories of the Mediterranean
    • UfM in the Media

      6 March 2023 – Alghad.com – المؤتمر الدولي لمصادر المياه بعمان: تحديد للفرص القابلة للتنفيذ
      View article
      27 February 2023 – Huffington Post – “Nel Mediterraneo è sfida per l’energia, 250 progetti per portarla da Sud a Nord”
      View article
      18 February 2023 – The Jordan Times – Regional Transport Action Plan to propel shift towards sustainability — UfM official
      View article
      See more
  • Contact

UfM calls for a gender sensitive approach to cancer prevention

Social & Civil Affairs
  • According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, accounting for an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018.
  • In 2020, the number of breast cancer cases amounted to more than 2 million, meaning breast cancer is predicted to be the most commonly occurring cancer this year.
  • The UfM-supported project ‘Women’s Right to Health’ has compared different strategies for early cervical cancer screening, highlighting the importance of increasing the skills of health professionals and the general awareness of the population.

29 January 2021. Around 10 million people die each year from cancer. According to the Global Cancer Observatory, this year, breast cancer has been estimated to be the most commonly occurring cancer in general, with over 2 million new cases in 2020. When we look at the Euro-Mediterranean region, of the top 25 countries with the highest rates of breast cancer in 2018, 15 are UfM Member States.

While survival rates of many types of cancers are improving in some countries, others still face systemic barriers to offer their citizens early detection and quality treatment. Many health systems in low- and middle-income countries are ill-equipped, lacking diagnosis and treatment services. Cancer-related inequalities are also linked to cancer risk factors, such as poor nutrition or workplace hazards. Evidence shows that between 30% to 50% of cancer cases could be prevented by reducing exposure to cancer risk factors such as diet, nutrition or physical activity.

Cancer undermines a nation’s development, and remains a major barrier to sustainable development, particularly in low- to-middle income countries. UfM Deputy Secretary General for Social Affairs, Marisa Farrugia, said: “On World Cancer Day we must all join forces and make our voices heard to take decisive action on cancer, fighting for quality resources and services for all. Through its regional projects, political fora, and dialogue platforms, the UfM will continue with determination to battle on for a more equal and inclusive region, putting life and the region’s livelihoods at the center of its actions”.

While still fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, this World Cancer Day serves as a reminder that cancer diagnosis and treatment should be equally accessible to all, irrespective of our income, age, gender or nationality.

The experience of the Women’s Right to Health (WoRTH) project in Albania, Montenegro and Morocco

The goal of closing the equity gap has been at the core of the UfM’s mission since its inception. Responding to this challenge, and in line with the WHO’s mandate to increase political commitment for cancer prevention and control, both organisations have supported the implementation of the ‘Women’s Right to Health’ (WoRTH) project.

This initiative, implemented since 2016 by the National Health System Reference Centre for Epidemiology and Prevention of Cancer in Piedmont (CPO), aims to reduce the incidence and mortality of women’s malignancies in Albania, Montenegro and Morocco through the design and implementation of a comprehensive cancer control strategy. More particularly, the project has focused on assessing the efficacy and sustainability of a cervical cancer early detection programme through the DNA Human Papilloma Virus test (HPV test) in the three participating countries.

These countries have considerably different profiles in terms of their demographic trends, socio-economic development and health systems, therefore the stage of implementation of cervical cancer screening also varies significantly. Each country developed a specific protocol to compare different recruitment strategies for cervical cancer screening. The experience suggests that, although face-to-face contact is the most effective, addressing the issue via telephone calls is also a valid detection method, especially in view of increasingly widespread access to mobile phones. Out of the almost 6000 women contacted via phone calls or face-to-face contacts, more than 3300 were tested. The results also show the need to create a single computerised information registry system and point to the importance of improving communication strategies and increasing the knowledge and skills of health professionals and the general awareness of the population.

The project’s aim is fully in line with the Global Strategy towards the Elimination of Cervical Cancer as a Public Health Problem adopted in 2020 from the World Health Organization (WHO): ending with cervical cancer is among the 10 global health issues to track in 2021

A potential widening of the project’s scope and geographical coverage is under assessment in the framework of the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the UfM and the WHO.

https://ufmsecretariat.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/WorldCancerDay-Facebook.mp4
Share this:

Latest news

On the road to the UfM Ministerial Conference on Higher Education (Fez, November 2023): UfM Higher Education Stakeholders’ Meeting
23 / 03 / 2023
World Water Day 2023: The UfM urges governments, organisations and individuals to accelerate change to solve the water and sanitation crisis
22 / 03 / 2023
See more

Agenda

First Ad Hoc Working Group on RoadMap for implementation of the Ministerial Declaration on Strengthening the Role of Women in Society
28 / 03 / 2023
UfM Conference on Regional Integration and Value Chain Transition
27 / 04 / 2023
See more

Who we are

  • Member States
  • Meet the team
  • Partners
  • History

What we do

  • Economic Development & Employment
  • Higher Education & Research
  • Social & Civil Affairs
  • Water, Environment and Blue Economy
  • Transport & Urban Development
  • Energy & Climate Action

How we work

  • Political Framework
  • Regional Dialogue Platforms
  • Projects and Initiatives

Work with us

  • Vacancies
  • Secondments
  • Internships
  • Procurement
  • Roster of experts

Info centre

  • Media corner
  • News
  • Agenda
  • Publications and key documents
  • Human Stories of the Mediterranean
  • Photo gallery
  • Video gallery
Co-financé par l'Union européenne  -  Cookie Privacy  |  Privacy Privacy  |  Legal notice
  • Who we are
    • Member States
    • Meet the team
    • Partners
    • History
  • What we do
    • Economic Development and Employment
    • Higher Education & Research
    • Social & Civil Affairs
    • Water, Environment and Blue Economy
    • Transport & Urban Development
    • Energy & Climate Action
  • How we work
    • Political Framework
    • Regional Dialogue Platforms
    • Projects and Initiatives
  • Work with us
    • Vacancies
    • Secondments
    • Internships
    • Procurement
    • Roster of experts
  • Info centre
    • Media center
    • News
    • Agenda
    • Publications and key documents
  • Contact
  • Social media
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
    • Linkedin
    • Flickr
  • English
  • Français
  • العربية
  • English
  • Français
  • العربية
Union for the Mediterranean – UfM
/* ----------------------------------------- */ /* Content Template: Loop item in Megamenu – Latest Ufm in the news - start */ /* ----------------------------------------- */ /* ----------------------------------------- */ /* Content Template: Loop item in Megamenu – Latest Ufm in the news - end */ /* ----------------------------------------- */ /* ----------------------------------------- */ /* Content Template: Content template for Posts - start */ /* ----------------------------------------- */ /* ----------------------------------------- */ /* Content Template: Content template for Posts - end */ /* ----------------------------------------- */ /* ----------------------------------------- */ /* Content Template: Loop item in NewsRoom – Related News (Sidebar) - start */ /* ----------------------------------------- */ /* ----------------------------------------- */ /* Content Template: Loop item in NewsRoom – Related News (Sidebar) - end */ /* ----------------------------------------- */

 

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.


3rd Party Cookies

Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Cookies Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Read more

3rd Party Cookies

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.

Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!