The Norwegian Cancer Society works with partners in Norway and internationally to meet the global challenges posed by cancer. Learn more about our efforts to influence authorities and public opinion, and not least our tobacco prevention projects in Africa and Russia here.
WHO describes cancer as a leading cause of death worldwide; the disease accounted for 7.9 million deaths or 13% of all deaths in 2007 – more than more than HIV/aids, tuberculosis and malaria combined. About 72% of all cancer deaths that year occurred in low- and middle-income countries. Numbers are projected to continue rising to an estimated 12 million deaths in 2030.
Projects in northwest Russia, Africa and Peru
Our engagements in tobacco prevention projects in Africa and northwest Russia are among the Norwegian Cancer Society’s primary efforts in the global struggle against cancer.
The non-government organization Garant in Arkhangelsk is our partner in northwest Russia. They are coordinating the work of adapting the tobacco prevention programme ‘Free’ to schools in Arkhangelsk. The Norwegian Cancer Society originally developed the ‘Free’ to be used in Norwegian schools. The programme has proven effective and professionals in Arkhangelsk are now helping us adjust the program to fit into a Russian context. The project is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care’s Barents Programme.
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is a very important political foundation for global tobacco prevention work and has now been ratified by 172 countries. The Norwegian Cancer Society therefore supports two umbrella organizations working to have the Tobacco Convention introduced into more African countries; the Framework Convention Alliance (FCA) and the African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA). We also fund individual projects in Ghana, Burkina Faso and Chad together with our local partners Vision for Alternative Development (VALD) and the Observatoire du Tabac en Afrique Francophone (OTAF).
With the support of the Pink Ribbon campaign in Norway, a breast cancer project delivered by PATH (Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health) is currently being carried out in Peru. The aim of the project is to contribute to early detection, increased survival rates and improved quality of life for women with breast cancer in Peru.
UN Summit on non-communicable diseases
In connection with the UN Summit on non-communicable diseases scheduled for September 2011, we have formed an alliance with the Norwegian Diabetes Association, the Norwegian Heart and Lung Patient Organization (LHL) and the Public Health Association (Nasjonalforeningen). Together, we cover the four major disease groups defined by WHO as non-communicable diseases; cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic lung diseases. The aim of this Norwegian NCD-alliance is to influence and contribute to the preparations leading up to the Summit and at the same time draw attention to the challenges posed by non-communicable diseases both in Norway and globally.
The Norwegian Cancer Society is a member of the UICC, the Union for International Cancer Control. We are also part of the International NCD Alliance consisting of the International Diabetes Federation, the World Heart Federation, the Union for International Cancer Control and the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.
