Here follows the full text of HRH the Princess’ speach ;
Praise be to God May peace and
blessings be upon the Prophet, His Kith and Kin
Your Highnesses,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am delighted that this International Conference on Cancer Control in the Middle-East and Africa, which was announced at the United Nations High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases which took place in New York on 20 September 2011, is being held in the beautiful city of Marrakech.
I should like to extend my sincere thanks to Your Highnesses and Your Excellencies and to the distinguished scientists, experts and specialists for having kindly accepted our invitation to take part in this conference. I wish you all a warm welcome to your second home, Morocco.
Our shared determination to hold this meeting reflects our common concern regarding the alarming data available on the spread of cancer and the disquieting forecasts regarding the number of cancer cases and deaths, especially in the Middle East and Africa.
I should like, first, to share with you some telling statistics: the number of people in the region who die of cancer exceeds that of victims of AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.
In 2010, the number of new cancer cases stood at more than one million, and close to 800,000 people died of the disease.
The situation is expected to get worse in the future. By the year 2020, there will be 1.5 million new cases, and 1 million deaths a year. Unfortunately, the number of cancer victims is expected to double in the next twenty years, should the current conditions remain unchanged.
The seriousness of cancer as a major health concern is not merely illustrated by the large number of victims; this scourge also has severe repercussions. Cancer patients are not just isolated cases; each one represents a social and family tragedy. Seen from this perspective, the scourge of cancer has a devastating effect on the actual wealth of our countries, namely our human resources.
The situation is further compounded by the gap between the countries of the North and those of the South in terms of material and technical means and resources, and also qualified human resources. Worse still are the imbalances and disparities between the countries of the South themselves.
Such a situation could lead to a double inequity that would be unacceptable to the conscience of mankind and incompatible with the bonds of brotherhood and solidarity between Middle-Eastern nations and African countries.
This tragic situation is further exacerbated by the incorrect, stereotyped assessment of the epidemiological situation in the region, especially in Africa. Indeed, the attention and support of international organizations are focused on certain infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria.
Regrettably, this is happening at the expense of the urgent attention that needs to be given to fighting the deadly scourge of cancer, especially as the cancer situation is getting worse due to poor medical and material resources.
Are we going to stand idly by while this deadly scourge - which knows no geographical boundaries, nor regional, gender or age-based distinctions - continues to spread?
Are geographical disparities and the fact that one belongs to a country of the South valid reasons to justify unequal access to treatment?
We do not think so. Whether we look at it from a moral perspective or from a humanitarian angle, this tragic situation cannot be tolerated. Considering the progress mankind has achieved in medical science, such a situation is unacceptable.
Cancer is not inevitable; nor is fighting this scourge an impossible mission, so long as we pool efforts, provide the resources and capabilities required, and promote prevention, treatment and scientific research.
40% of cancer cases can be avoided through prevention and by reducing the causes that lead to this dreadful disease. Similarly, half the cancer cases can be cured if they are diagnosed early enough, and if the necessary treatment is available.
Statistics confirm that the cancer recovery rate among children has reached 95 per cent in developed countries. This prompts us to make the achievement of this goal a top priority in our cooperation relations, and to seek to attain this rate as soon as possible, for today's children are the men and women of the future.
Your Highnesses,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In keeping with the principle of enabling our countries to benefit from each other’s experiences, allow me to briefly share with you the experience of the Kingdom of Morocco, especially through the action of the Lalla Salma Association against Cancer, which I am privileged to chair.
Thanks to the special interest His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, takes in the fight against cancer in general, and particularly His Majesty’s high patronage of the Association’s activities, the Lalla Salma Association against Cancer has actively contributed to the Kingdom of Morocco’s untiring efforts to fight this scourge and promote cancer prevention.
Thus, significant, concrete achievements have been made under the 10-year national plan for cancer prevention and control, building on a comprehensive, participatory approach involving all the actors concerned, be it civil society organizations, public institutions or the private sector.
The setting up of new oncology centers in various parts of the Kingdom, coupled with the expansion and revamping of existing facilities have had a decisive impact on promoting the fight against the disease, be it in terms of early detection, easier access to treatment, provision of specialized medical care, and taking good care of patients and their families, particularly through the setting up of care homes next to each cancer center to accommodate patients and their relatives.
In the area of prevention, the Association has sought to implement several programs which deal, in particular, with the early detection of breast cancer, fighting and controlling cervical cancer and facilitating access to treatment. This action is in keeping with the 2006 Rabat Declaration calling for the implementation of an integrated program to fight cancer among women in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Consistent with the Association’s policy of matching words with action, and as an example of what we have been doing in the field, your conference will be presented with specific cases of people who had cancer, and who have fully recovered thanks to the timely treatment they received.
Having fully recovered, by the Grace of the Almighty, they now lead a normal family and professional life, contribute to the development of their society through their work, are involved in social activities and enjoy a new life full of hope and confidence.
And so, with mixed feelings of hope and pain, I wish to emphasize the need to fight the scourge of smoking, which is spreading - especially among young people - and causes more than 30% of cancers.
Tobacco producers and consumers, and indeed any party that has some kind of authority or responsibility in this area, should think about the large numbers of people who die each year, and the billions spent on the treatment of cancer patients because of the growing consumption of tobacco in the region.
The fight against the scourge of smoking therefore requires a holistic approach based on greater awareness-raising as well as preventive measures and deterrents in order to tackle this devastating plague which is destroying our human and economic resources.
Your Highnesses,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I should like to take this opportunity to reiterate my personal commitment, as a civil society activist, to do all I can to strengthen cooperation and partnership relations between the Association and similar organizations in sister countries so that we benefit from each other’s experience, and to put the Association’s know-how at the disposal of others, especially in sister African nations.
Notwithstanding the efforts made and the encouraging results obtained in fighting cancer, the road to achieving our desired goals is still long and arduous.
The fight against this malignant disease should be a collective endeavor. To win this battle, we must make concerted efforts as part of an efficient drive based on solidarity and humanitarian values.
In view of the above, I call for laying the foundations of genuine, more balanced and more equitable cooperation between all countries. Such concrete cooperation should target specific areas, be based on effective means and mechanisms, and involve all the stakeholders concerned.
As part of this cooperation, special attention should be devoted to raising awareness about the seriousness of this disease and its terrible repercussions on patients, families and society at large. Priority should also be given to prevention, vaccination and early detection, particularly with respect to cervical cancer.
It is also important to strengthen cooperation and promote the mechanisms of solidarity in order to facilitate patients’ access to treatment and health care, and provide them and their relatives with the necessary support and assistance, in addition to promoting scientific research in this area.
These objectives can be met only if the financial and human resources required are available.
In this regard, I should like to reiterate the proposal I made at the United Nations High-Level Meeting on 20 September 2011 to set up an international fund for cancer treatment and prevention, similar to the one created in the fight against HIV-AIDS.
Until we achieve that lofty objective, I suggest that we start with the creation of a Middle East and Africa regional fund for cancer prevention and treatment.
To make sure this fund prompts the international community and similar regional groupings into action, I suggest that we consider practical measures to ensure steady financing for the fund, and see to it that the requirements of transparency and good governance are fully observed.
Such a funding mechanism can effectively promote solidarity, not only between Middle Eastern and African countries, but also among the countries of the South.
Given the current economic and financial crisis besetting even major donor countries, we must rely on ourselves and our own resources to meet the challenges facing our countries in this area.
The most significant of these challenges is the training of qualified human resources, especially health professionals. Indeed, the latter play a pivotal role in the provision of treatment and of psychological and social support to patients and their families.
Saving the life of a cancer patient often means putting an end to the suffering of an entire family. It also means that that person is in a position to contribute to the progress of his or her country and region.
To give concrete substance to our cooperation, especially with sister African nations, I suggest that this conference consider the most effective and practical means to set up an “African Oncology School” to train and upgrade the human resources needed in this area.
Mustering these resources is the only way to make this cooperation a reality. Rising to the challenge of cancer will not be achieved through meetings, flattering remarks, pompous speeches or empty slogans that have no bearing on reality. Only hard work and concrete action will make a difference.
As can be seen from the important agreements and constructive initiatives to be launched during this meeting, we are keen to make sure this conference serves as the starting point for efficient cooperation based on solid foundations.
Our Association has witnessed the crucial role played by international organizations and the NGOs involved in the fight against cancer. Not only do they supplement and support the role of government institutions, but they also play a key part in terms of anticipation and innovation, in addition to working in the field to fight this disease.
It is, therefore, necessary to develop a professional partnership framework to build on the combined efforts of all the parties concerned by reinforcing the mechanisms of solidarity and international cooperation at the level of government agencies, international organizations and the private sector.
It is also important to benefit from successful experiences and programs on vaccination and the early detection of cervical cancer, both in the region and elsewhere.
Furthermore, we must emphasize the strategic role played by scientific research institutions, major laboratories and international pharmaceutical companies. They support national and regional efforts and programs to fight cancer, in such areas as prevention, detection, treatment, research and funding.
There is little disagreement about the growing importance of vaccination in the prevention of cervical cancer. However, the high cost of the vaccine remains the biggest hurdle for the disadvantaged groups in the region.
Therefore, reducing the cost of the vaccine should be the gateway to the democratization of access to treatment and medication.
As you know, the fight against cancer does not hinge only on the availability of material resources, important though they may be. It calls for the involvement of the nation’s forces, especially scientists and religious scholars, who have to play their part in enlightening public opinion so as to correct wrong ideas and outdated beliefs, and to overcome taboos that do not help patients and their families but, instead, delay detection and early diagnosis, which are key to successful treatment.
Your Highnesses,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Given the fine group of experts and scientists taking part in this important meeting, I am sure your conference will contribute to finding innovative solutions and will come up with practical answers to some of the most important issues connected with the fight against cancer.
I do hope the adoption of the "Marrakech Declaration" - five years after the "Rabat Declaration" - will provide a strong incentive for government health officials, non-governmental organizations and specialized scientific associations to strengthen coordination and promote concerted action in order to combat this disease.
I also hope your pertinent recommendations will lay the groundwork for fruitful international and regional cooperation, and pave the way for various partnership models between the stakeholders concerned so as to provide medical treatment and facilitate access to it.
I should like to take this opportunity to commend the Association’s partners who have worked with us in organizing this conference, especially the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health, and to thank them for their tireless efforts to ensure the success of this conference.
I also want to express special thanks to all those who have been supporting the Association since its inception.
Once again, welcome to the time-honored city of Marrakech and to the land of dialogue and open, constructive cultural interaction.
I wish you a pleasant stay.
May Almighty God grant you every success.
“Help ye one another in righteousness and piety, but help ye not one another in sin and rancor”. The Word of God is Truth.
Thank you.
Wasalamu alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh.