Cancer in children and young people remains an important global public health issue, and one that only cooperation between all stakeholders can overcome. As part of its aim to support all those who care for children and adolescents with cancer in Europe, SIOPE is further developing its close partnership with engaged parent/patient and survivors advocates from all over Europe.
Over the years, we have established a strong collaboration with the representatives of European parents, patients and survivors via the Europe Regional Committee of Childhood Cancer International (CCI), formerly known as ICCCPO, and the Parent and Patient Advisory Committee (PPAC, established within the ENCCA Project).
This collaboration proved extremely valuable and beneficial, with parent/patient/survivor advocates actively involved in SIOPE’s most important initiatives, like for instance the SIOPE-ENCCA Manifesto and the BDA-ITCC-ENCCA-SIOPE Paediatric Platform, the SIOPE-ENCCA Conference and the global campaign to mark International Childhood Cancer Day in February 2015 (see articles in this newsletter).
Representatives from CCI already regularly attend the annual SIOPE General Assembly, and SIOPE representatives attend the yearly CCI Europe Regional Committee Regional Annual Meeting. This was the case at the recent CCI Europe Meeting in Malmö, Sweden (8-10 May 2015), where SIOPE President Gilles Vassal presented the efforts of SIOPE and CCI Europe to implement and raise awareness about the joint European long-term strategic plan (see article).
Most importantly, SIOPE and CCI Europe have established together the long-term sustainable strategic plan to increase the cure rate in poor prognosis malignancies, eradicate inequalities in childhood and adolescents cancer care in Europe and increase the quality of life of childhood cancer survivors.
For all these reasons, in Malmö SIOPE and the CCI Europe Regional Committee agreed to sign a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ which, by setting out the areas and principles of cooperation, will allow an even deeper and constructive partnership in the years to come, in order to more effectively raise awareness on cancer in children and adolescents in Europe.
More information