The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer have unveiled the inaugural edition of the Latin America and Caribbean Code Against Cancer, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at alleviating the cancer burden in the region.
The code offers a series of evidence-based strategies and interventions to decrease cancer-related incidence and mortality rates.
Among the key recommendations are policies targeting the prevention of tobacco use, reduction of alcohol consumption, mitigation of exposure to carcinogens like air pollution, management of infections associated with cancer, and the promotion of medical interventions and screening measures.
These proposals align with both the World Health Organization’s ‘Best Buys’ for cost-effective interventions in noncommunicable diseases and PAHO’s advocated strategies for cancer prevention.
Formulated by over 60 experts from Latin America and the Caribbean, the Code’s 17 recommendations have been tailored to fit the unique socio-economic and cultural context of the region.
Laura Longsworth, a member of the Board of Directors of the Health Caribbean Coalition, commended the contextualized approach of these recommendations, emphasizing their potential impact on the region’s health landscape.
The Code will be further bolstered by an accessible online competency-based learning program, designed for primary healthcare professionals.
This program will be made available free of charge on the Virtual Campus for Public Health, offering a valuable resource for healthcare practitioners seeking to implement the Code’s recommendations.
Additionally, the Code will be showcased to global health and cancer leaders during a plenary session at the Union for International Cancer Control World Cancer Leaders’ Summit in Long Beach, California.
This international platform will provide an opportunity to highlight the Code’s potential to drive positive change on a global scale.
Tracy Romalho, NCN News