Sponsored session - Challenges that impact Women in Middle East and Africa reaching treatments early

Organised by MSD (United States)

Chaired by Guy Fones (WHO)

Panellists:

Hamida Kettab, Secretary General , Al-Amel (Algeria)

Hanaa Serry, Board Secretary, Baheya Foundation for Early Detection and Treatment of Breast Cancer (Egypt)

Hany Nassar, Founder & President, Barbara Nassar (Lebanon)

Lamia Mahmoud, Regional Advisor, NCD Prevention WHO EMRO

Catherine Kanari, Universal Health coverage lead, Amref Health Africa (Kenya)

Jan Van Acker, President Emerging Markets, MSD (United States)

This panel discusses the challenges women face in reaching treatments early. In the MEA region, stigma and shame are common areas associated with cancer, with special predominance in cancers that impact women. Women in the Middle East and bordering regions face different challenges that prevent early detection, including lack of access of universal health coverage, minor role of primary care, few advanced diagnostics centers, stigma, cultural/societal values, fear of treatment, lack of screening programs.

In addition, there are aspects that affect the approach to cancer management, associated with education and low levels of health literacy around cancer and early cancer detection and prevention. Screening programs are not always part of national initiatives in the region, generating low screening indicators and therefore high numbers of late diagnosis. Mostly, in MEA, Patient Organizations are not a formal part of the healthcare decision-making process, however, these organizations understand the lived experience; In this sense, we find it very relevant to invite patient organizations to share their reality and describe the challenges they face in reaching early treatment. Each Patient Organization will portray the situation they face today, how they are working to support the individuals with lived experience with these challenges and what they are doing to improve health outcomes.