MD Anderson and Pan American Health Organization join forces to support cancer prevention and control in the Americas – PAHO/WHO
Washington, DC / Houston, May 1, 2024― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) announced today the signing of an agreement to strengthen cancer prevention and control initiatives in the Americas. The event was held in Washington, DC, with the participation of leaders from both organizations.
As part of the new agreement, MD Anderson and PAHO will work together to support the implementation of World Health Organization (WHO) cancer initiatives in the Americas, provide technical support for the organization’s regional and national implementation, and develop capacities to strengthen cancer programs in Latin America and the Caribbean. The initiatives will include the Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative and the Global Breast Cancer Initiative.
«By advancing this important relationship with the Pan American Health Organization, we are reaffirming MD Anderson’s commitment to advancing progress in cancer prevention and control efforts around the world,» he said. Dr. Peter W.T. Pisters, president of MD Anderson. “This collaboration will help ensure more lives are saved as we work toward our goal of Making cancer history®.”
PAHO works with the countries of the Americas to improve the health and quality of life of their populations. Founded in 1902, it is the oldest international public health agency in the world. PAHO acts as the WHO Regional Office for the Americas and is the specialized health agency of the Inter-American System.
“More than 1.5 million people are diagnosed with cancer each year in Latin America and the Caribbean. Survival can be improved with access to timely diagnosis and treatment. The joint efforts of PAHO and MD Anderson to strengthen cancer programs will help close the gap in cancer care to ensure better health outcomes for all people,” said PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa .
The new agreement builds on the existing collaboration between MD Anderson and PAHO and will strengthen their shared commitment to advancing cancer prevention and care in the Americas. Some programs include:
- Capacity building initiatives, including a breast imaging and biopsy training program for the Caribbean, together with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
- Cancer control efforts, including workshops to develop and promote cervical cancer elimination plans in Latin America.
- He ECO Project® (Extension for Community Health Care Outcomes) Latin America (ECHO-ELA) Cervical Cancer Elimination Program with the US National Cancer Institute, supporting policymakers and clinical providers in the adoption and implementation of the WHO Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative.
- ECHO Project for Improving the Quality of Mammography in the Caribbean (ECHO-MIMIC), which focuses on capacity development for radiologists, technologists and physicists in 19 countries.
MD Anderson Strategic plan, which calls for reaching more people and saving more lives, moves forward by aligning with others to provide expertise in cancer prevention, education, research and treatment in the community setting. Today’s announcement expands MD Anderson’s commitment to this work, including its international collaboration to reduce the global burden of women’s cancers with the WHO and be named a member IAEA Collaborating Center.
About MD Anderson
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston is one of the most respected centers in the world focused on cancer care, research, education and prevention. The institution’s sole mission is to end cancer for patients and their families worldwide, and in 1971, it became one of the nation’s first National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer centers. MD Anderson is ranked No. 1 for cancer in US News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals” rankings and has been named one of the nation’s top two cancer hospitals since rankings began in 1990. MD Anderson receives an NCI Cancer Center Support Grant from the National Institutes of Health (P30 CA016672).
About PAHO
PAHO works with the countries of the Americas to improve the health and quality of life of their populations. Founded in 1902, it is the oldest international public health agency in the world. PAHO acts as the WHO Regional Office for the Americas and is the specialized health agency of the Inter-American System.
