Commissioner Kyriakides hosts World Cancer Day “Europe's Beating Cancer Plan: Joining Forces” Event

Changing the realities of cancer is one of the main priorities of the European Commission in the area of health. Three years after the adoption of Europe's Beating Cancer Plan and days before World Cancer Day, Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, will host a high-level event on 31 January to take stock of EU's efforts to improve the lives of all those who are touched by cancer and to step up the fight against this disease.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission and Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, will participate with video messages in the Conference. Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the Commission responsible for Promoting our European Way of Life, will participate and deliver keynote remarks. The event will be closed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health of Belgium, Minister Frank Vandenbroucke.

The Conference will gather patients, health professionals, national experts, and representatives from international organisations and bodies such as the World Health Organization and the Union for International Cancer Control, as well as the EU institutions. Topics of discussion include how cooperation under the EU Cancer Plan has made a difference for cancer care in the EU, how outcomes for children with cancer can be improved, the importance of quality of cancer screening and access to psychosocial oncology. The conference will also address international cooperation and the key priority of tackling inequalities.

The event will take place from 14.00 until 17.15 and can be followed online here.