Regional and International Recognition of Egypt’s Leadership in Combating Cancer:
In a historic achievement, the World Health Organization’s Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office announced the adoption of the “Cairo Call for Action on Breast Cancer” by health ministers from 22 regional countries during the 72nd session of the Regional Committee on October 16, 2025. This recognition is a culmination of Egyptian national efforts, under the patronage and support of His Excellency the Minister of Health and Population, Professor Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, and the distinguished leadership of Professor Dr. Hesham El-Ghazaly, President of the Egyptian Cancer Society and Chairman of the National Committee for the Presidential Initiative for Women’s Health.
High-level representation from the Society’s Board of Directors included: Professor Dr. Samir Shehata, Professor Dr. Ola Khorshid, and Professor Dr. Reem Emad, in addition to members of the Scientific Committee of the Women’s Health Initiative.
The “Cairo Call” is a global and regional roadmap that emerged from the high-level dialogue hosted by Egypt on January 23, 2025, on the sidelines of the 17th International Breast Cancer Conference (BGICC). The international community has lauded the Presidential Initiative for Women’s Health as a successful and effective model that can be replicated in low- and middle-income countries, where strong political commitment has proven its ability to achieve tangible and scalable results in comprehensive breast cancer screening and care.
The Egyptian Cancer Society is proud of Egypt’s leadership of this regional movement and affirms its commitment to supporting and expanding national successes to serve the entire region.
