The European Union Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakidou, in her speech at the “Economist” conference on “Greece’s agenda for the fight against cancer in the post-covid world” – held today in Athens under the auspices of the Hellenic Society of Oncologists (EOPE) – reported on the effects of the pandemic on oncology patients, with the cessation of cancer diagnoses and treatments.
In fact, Ms. Kyriakidou estimated that there are 1 million undiagnosed cancer patients in Europe due to the pandemic.
The commissioner spoke about the EU’s European Cancer Plan which was presented during the pandemic. Emphasized key principles of EU cancer policy, such as inclusion, cooperation between all stakeholders, integrated approach to each stage of the disease, research and innovation, digitization, personalized medicine, action to reduce inequalities and effectiveness, with schedules and milestones. He referred to a number of initiatives that the EU will take in the next period and stressed that the aim is, through transnational cooperation, to reduce the significant differences from country to country and between socio-economic groups in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. .
At the beginning of her speech, Ms. Kyriakidou referred to the EU’s efforts to support and host Ukrainian refugees facing health problems. In the context of European solidarity, Ms. Kyriakidou also referred to the legacy of the common European policy for the covid-19 pandemic.
The Economist Impact spokeswoman and head of The Vaccine Ecosystem Initiative, Mary Bussell, spoke about the great strides that science has made in tackling the pandemic. He noted that cancer survival rates have improved over the past decade, but that over the past two years there have been interruptions in screening programs, with implications for early detection and diagnosis and early access to treatment.
Cancer should be at the top of every country’s agenda, he pointed out. He said that in Europe, cancer is the second leading cause of death and accounts for 26% of all deaths. The development of safe and effective vaccines and a tougher fight against smoking can help maximize cancer prevention efforts, he said. The Economist Impact spokeswoman focused on mRNA technology and the role of vaccines. He referred to the availability of treatments for cancer and related economic challenges, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic crisis. Finally, it highlighted some key principles for the treatment of cancer in the post-pandemic period, such as recognizing cancer as a priority for the whole of Europe and through national control plans, improving prevention, focusing on early diagnosis, ensuring that people with cancer managers, creating and implementing systems for sustainable and equitable access to innovation and patient stigmatization.
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