The Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL) is a pan-European umbrella organization of national and regional cancer leagues. Established in 1980, ECL has been providing a unique and important platform for cancer societies in the extended Europe, from Iceland to Turkey. ECL’s 30 member leagues provide advice, support, and other services in cancer control in 25 countries (as of 2020), to more than 500 million citizens.
The major fields of activity for ECL’s members include cancer prevention, public information and awareness campaigns, services for patients and their families and relatives, and direct support for research to defeat cancer.
Since 2015, ECL has been the primary organization responsible for disseminating the European Code Against Cancer, which is an initiative of the European Commission to inform people about actions they can take for themselves or their families to reduce their risk of cancer.
The ECL secretariat can provide substantial experience in public communication across all aspects of cancer control, accrued during the 40 years of the association’s existence. The ECL secretariat can take advantage of its coordination role to activate the current membership of European cancer leagues (currently 30 cancer societies in 25 European countries) in dissemination actions, including relations with national mass media.
ECL Director Wendy Tse Yared has more than 25 years of experience in public health at the international level, including active participation in relevant EU projects and initiatives, such as the CANCON, EPAAC, and iPAAC joint actions, the relaunch of the annual European Week Against Cancer, and validating the public communication of the 4th edition of the European Code Against Cancer.
- Dr Wendy Yared, Director
- Arianna Khatchadourian, EU Projects Officer
- Anamarija Tomičić, Communications Officer
- Nico Latteur, Policy and Projects Assistant
The Centrum voor Kankeropsporing – Centre for Cancer Detection (CvKO) is a scientific expertise centre that is responsible for the early detection of breast cancer, cervical cancer, and colorectal cancer in Flanders, on behalf of the Flemish Government. By detecting cancer early, the CvKO aims to reduce the impact of the disease and the number of people who die from the disease as much as possible.
The application of scientifically substantiated methods for cancer detection within the three population screening programmes ensures that the quality of the entire process is permanently monitored and that this is done in a responsible manner.
The CvKO consists of about 55 staff members working in the administrative headquarters and in the five departments. The departments are responsible for the implementation and support of the population screening in their own area of operation.
The CvKO organizes, coordinates, and monitors the quality of the population screening. The CvKO reports on all activities to the Flemish Government. The CvKO has the following objectives:
The experience of the CvKO in making key data available (especially from opportunistic screening) to stakeholders and the public will be useful to fine-tune the system.
- Patrick Martens, Senior Expert, CvKO
- G. Van Hal, Senior Expert, Support team, Manager R&D, CvKO
- E. Kellen, Senior Expert, Support team, Manager cervical cancer screening, CvKO
- M.C.M. Goossens, Senior Expert, Support team, Manager breast cancer screening, CvKO
- S. Hoeck, Senior Expert, Support team, Manager colorectal cancer screening, CvKO
Sciensano can rely on more than 700 staff members who commit themselves, day after day, to achieve its motto: Healthy all lifelong.
Science and health are central to Sciensano’s mission. Sciensano’s strength and uniqueness lie within the holistic and multidisciplinary approach to health. More particularly, Sciensano focuses on the close and indissoluble interconnection between human and animal health and the environment (the “One health” concept). By combining different research perspectives within this framework, Sciensano contributes in its unique way to everybody’s health.
For this, Sciensano builds on the more than 100 years of scientific expertise of the former Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre (CODA-CERVA) and the former Scientific Institute of Public Health (WIV-ISP). The performance of the health-care system must be regularly evaluated to ensure its effectiveness.
In Belgium the health-care system is accessible to the majority of the population. In conjunction with the Federal Centre of Expertise in Healthcare (KCE) and the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI), Sciensano oversees its smooth running.
The evaluation is performed using indicators that touch, among others, on the health status of the population, accessibility, and quality of care. The information compiled through these indicators for Belgium is reported to the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Commission, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for Europe-wide use.
The national health survey also provides high-quality indicators, because it enables Sciensano to estimate the prevalence and distribution of health indicators and analyse social inequalities in access to care.
Sciensano participates in a series of initiatives set up to assess the quality of patient care:
- Marc Arbyn, Senior Expert, Coordinator of the Unit of Cancer Epidemiology, Belgian Cancer Centre of Sciensano
- Cindy Simoens, Senior Expert, Epidemiologist, manager of projects of the Unit of Cancer Epidemiology, Belgian Cancer Centre of Sciensano
- Victoria Nyaga, Junior Expert, Statistician, Sciensano
- Hélène De Pauw, Junior Expert, Epidemiologist, Sciensano
- Sharon Dhillon, Junior Expert, Epidemiologist, Sciensano
- Iman Jaafar, Junior Expert, Epidemiologist, Sciensano
- Ardashel Latsuzbaia, Junior Expert, Epidemiologist, Sciensano
- Jenny Chung, Junior Expert, Epidemiologist, Sciensano
- Sophie Denoël, Junior Expert, Epidemiologist, Sciensano
- Pegah Rousta, Junior Expert, Epidemiologist, Sciensano
- Nina Dhollande, Junior Expert, Epidemiologist, Sciensano