Healthcare | Thursday 26 May, 2016 7:08 am |

Friends of Cancer Patients (FoCP), the Sharjah-based cancer support group, showcased the UAE’s expertise in fighting Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in front of an international audience when Her Excellency Ameera BinKaram, President of the Board of Trustees of FoCP delivered a key note speech at an NCD Alliance Partners dinner in Geneva, Switzerland. 

 

The event, which was a major side activity to the 69th World Health Assembly (WHA) taking place in Geneva from May 23-28, was held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of the Ruler of Sharjah, founder and Royal Patron of Friends of Cancer Patients, Patron of the Non Communicable Disease Alliance forum.

 

The dinner was the first of two WHA side activities that H.E. BinKaram had been invited to in order to share the United Arab Emirates and Sharjah’s expertise on the NCDs topic, which are lifestyle linked diseases and conditions that include heart disease, cancer, kidney disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Also participating at the function were Her Royal Highness Princess Dina Mired, Director General of King Hussein Cancer Foundation, Jordan; Dr. Jose Luis Castro, Chair of the NCD Alliance and Sir George Alleyne, Director Emeritus, Pan America Health Organisation, Katie Dain, Executive Director, NCD Alliance, Dr. Bente Mikkelsen, Head of WHO GCM, WHO, Dr. Hussein Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for Health Centers and Clinics MOH UAE, Dr. Cary Adams, CEO, Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).

 

The NCD Alliance dinner provided an opportunity to discuss the outcomes of the first ever Global NCD Alliance Forum, which took place in Sharjah on November 13-15, 2015 and included the ‘Sharjah Declaration,’ a major civil society commitment to accelerate action and increase accountability to prevent and reduce deaths, disability, stigma and discrimination caused by lifestyle diseases.

 

Her Royal Highness Princess Dina Mired said “Our work in combatting NCDs is far from over and that is why translating the NCD conversation from global to local action is key to breaking down obstacles and finding solutions. The hosting of the first ever Global NCD Alliance Forum in Sharjah last November was one such important initiative. The forum was the first time for over 40 national and regional NCD alliances from across the world to meet in our part of the world and was successful in reinforcing the unmet need for NCD prevention and control in Africa and the Middle East. This event would not have been possible without the immense efforts of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi and I praise her unstinting support for the NCD Alliance Forum”.

 

H.E. BinKaram’s speech at the NCD Alliance Partners’ dinner highlighted the role that Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi played in combating NCDs, including her leading activities under the Big Heart Foundation, an initiative that supports children with cancer in Lebanon, Syria and Egypt, as well as Jordan through its collaboration with the King Hussein Cancer Centre.

 

“Her Highness has pioneered the fight against cancer and non-communicable diseases in the United Arab Emirates since 1999 by founding Friends of Cancer Patients society, extending financial and emotional support to cancer patients, raising public awareness about the risk and symptoms of cancer and the importance of early detection, providing the best methods of treatment and care for patients, as well as care for their families locally, regionally and internationally,” said H.E. BinKaram.

 

“Sheikha Jawaher has become a beacon of hope for patients, parents, donors and researchers, launching the further Friends of Kidney Patients in 2006, Friends of Diabetic Patients and Friends of Arthritis Patients in 2008, all of which were integrated into Sharjah’s Health Promotion department in 2010. Through these important support groups, we are able to raise awareness about non-communicable diseases, deliver tailored educational programmes, equip community members with health information and preventive measures, cover the treatment cost of needy patients and extend hope and emotional support to patients and their families,” she added.

 

H.E. emphasised that moving forward in the fight against NCDs will only be possible through building on the foundations that was laid down with the first Global NCD Alliance Forum, which goes in line with the vision of His Royal Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi; Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates who had an extraordinary insight during His Royal Highness opening note in the Forum on how Sharjah is committed to the NCDs cause in general and specifically to the NCD Forum. His Royal Highness’ visionary leadership has drawn a clear road map that focuses on 3 pillars: - Establishing a hub in Sharjah to follow up on the forum’s outcomes. – Refocusing on the NCDs in the African region. – Putting research as the cornerstone to establishing a more holistic approach to the NCD advocacy. 

 

H.E. BinKaram concluded her address at the NCD Alliance dinner by announcing Her Highness directives of hosting the second NCDA forum in Sharjah Fall 2017 and inviting the NCDA civil society and the global privet sector to play a key role in the success of the second forum.

 

H.E. BinKaram continued her representative role in Geneva the following day, when she was a chief guest at a second World Health Assembly side event. Also present from FoCP at the activity, which was titled: ‘The New Urban Agenda: An Opportunity for Urban Health’ was Dr. Sawsan Al Madhi, Director General of FoCP, who gave a presentation: ‘Action on Social Determinants of Health to Promote Healthy Urban Settings.’ Among the issues she addressed during her talk was the need for government bodies to take a lead in promoting a healthy environment for their citizens, outlining the ways that this could be achieved. 

 

The invitation for H.E. BinKaram and Dr. Sawsan Al Madhi’s to attend the respective health events in Geneva was a result of the recognition of Sharjah and FoCP’s important role in the fight against lifestyle diseases, with the emirate having hosted the first ever global forum on NCDs. The inaugural event was a benchmark for the tackling of lifestyle-related diseases in the MENA region, bringing together 206 delegates from 173 advocate organisations and 43 national and regional NCD Alliances. Held under the theme ‘NCD Advocacy and Accountability in the Post-2015 Era,’ the forum was a collaboration between Friends of Cancer Patients and the NCD Alliance to discuss an effective roadmap for the future and to review NCD advocacy and accountability in the era of sustainable development.

 

The premier Global NCD Alliance Forum 2015 culminated with the Sharjah Declaration on NCDs, which calls on governments to champion NCD prevention by implementing goals, promoting interventions, allocating resources and establishing robust and transparent monitoring systems. It advocates including the voices of those affected by NCDs in policy development and calls on the United Nations to integrate NCDs into broader human rights, health and development policies, improve tracking of resources for NCDs and provide technical support to governments in low and middle income countries to achieve agreed NCD goals.