Addis Ababa, July 28, 2016(WIC) – Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen called upon African countries to cooperate in the fight against cancer.
Speaking at the closing of the 10th Stop Cervical, Breast and Prostate Cancer (SCCA) Conference today, he said “we, Africans, should collaborate in the fight against our common problems like cancer”.
Demeke stated that Africans must gear their political will, resource and skill towards preventing cancer and making the continent free of cancer.
This requires steadfast partnership and robust leadership as well as matching rhetoric with action, the Deputy Prime Minister stressed.
He further noted that African governments are now cognizant of the fact that they cannot bring any meaningful and sustainable progress in economic, social and political fields unless they pay profound attention and far reaching action for the well-being of fellow Africans.
“It is my strong belief that the Pan-Africanism our forefathers and mothers dreamt will be a reality only when we fully invest our minds and resources together to build prosperous Africa,” Demeke added.
Chairperson of African First Ladies, Roman Tesfaye on her part called upon all the participants to exert maximum effort with a renewed energy and to take practical and tangible action that can save the lives of millions of Africans being lost because of cancer.
She also urged members of parliament that have been attending the conference to place the issue of cancer on the top of their agendas for policy attention, resource allocation and awareness creation.
Addressing health ministers, she said “making non-communicable diseases a priority of health sector, our efforts of controlling cancer and making treatment and care services accessible and affordable to all our citizens cannot be a reality without you”.
The 11th Cervical, Breast and Prostate Cancer (SCCA) Conference will be hosted by Swaziland in 2017. (ENA)