IARC Regional Hub For Cancer Registration In Northern Africa, Central And Western Asia
Ariana ZNAOR, International Agency for Research on Cancer, France
ESER S. 2
,
MERY L. 1
,
BRAY F. 1
1 International Agency for Research on Cancer
2 Hacettepe University
Purpose:
Izmir Cancer Registry, the first population-based cancer registry (CR) in Turkey, became the second IARC Regional Hub for Cancer Registration within the GICR (Global Initiative for Cancer Registry Development) program in October 2013. The Hub aims to build capacity for cancer registration in low- and middle-income countries within Northern Africa, Central and Western Asia.
Methods:
The Hub supports cancer registries in the region by being the first point of contact for the registry communities, providing localized technical and scientific support, delivering tailored training in population-based cancer registration, promoting the use of data, advocating for the cause of cancer registration and facilitating collaboration and networking between cancer registries. A Hub Advisory Committee, consisting of international and regional experts, has been established to develop the Hub activities.
Results:
Since 2013, sixteen training events at both basic and advanced levels, as well as two training visits to Izmir CR, have been organized in the Hub region and 237 cancer registry professionals trained. New training resources have been developed, including the first Russian language basic cancer registration course. A roster of regional experts has been created to assist in delivering Hub activities in training, site visits and directed country-level support. Eight site visits were carried out and recommendations provided to Algeria, Egypt, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Morocco, Uzbekistan, West Bank and Gaza Strip. Research collaborations have been initiated in the Eastern Mediterannean and Middle Eastern regions, and a series of site-specific articles on cancer in the Middle East submitted.
Conclusion:
Following successful implementation, the Izmir Hub is developing as a regional resource centre capable of providing targeted support for population-based cancer registries in the region. Further efforts are needed to empower regional cancer registry networks and integrate newly available data into cancer control programs.