08/11/2023
With Asia being home to 60% of the world’s population, and in 2020, accounted for 49.3% of cancer incidence worldwide, it is clear the significant burden poses to this part of the world. Yet, much of medical remains focused on Western populations.
It is thus with great pride that the SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute supports the work of the National Cancer Centre Singapore as it hosts the second Asian National Cancer Centers Alliance (ANCCA) Annual Scientific Conference, which brings together 22 member nations to improve the understanding of Asian-prevalent cancers and increase the effectiveness of Asian-targeted treatment protocols and therapeutics.
Speaking at the event last Friday, aptly themed “Uniting Asia Against Cancer”, A/Prof Tan Hiang Khoon, Director of SDGHI, highlighted that national cancer centres in Asia play a crucial role in advancing cancer research, promoting early detection, and reducing the burden of cancer. In addition to playing an important role in training the healthcare workforce, a platform like ANCCA helps bring together partners across nations and industries that can lend perspectives to framing management protocols contextualised to clinical practices in low resourced settings.
All these contribute to our goal of improving health outcomes and quality of life in the region.