A Dubai-based medical oncologist co-authors Lancet Commission report on gender parity to avert premature cancer deaths in women and girls worldwide.
Dr Deborah Mukherji, eminent consultant medical oncologist from Clemenceau Medical Centre Hospital, Dubai has played a key role in co-authoring a new pathbreaking report on gender parity in cancer diagnosis, treatment and care that will go a long way in saving lives of women worldwide. The Lancet Commission report was tabled at the Lancet Commission meeting in Geneva held in the last week of September.
Commenting on the findings and recommendations, Dr Mukherji, who is also the recipient of the Women in Oncology Award MENA 2021 from the Emirates Oncology Society said, “The Lancet commission on women, power and cancer has highlighted the devastating effect that cancer in women has on individuals, families, and communities. A gender-transformative approach to healthcare policy and re-focusing our research on the issues that really matter to women will benefit all society.”
Dr Mukherji further added that the report significant in recommendations of ensuring that sex, gender, and other socio-demographic factors are routinely collected in cancer health statistics publicly reported and updated. It recommends developing, strengthening, and enforcing laws and policies that reduce exposure to known risks for girls and women.
Eminent global stakeholders co-author the report
The report tabled at the Lancet Commission meeting in September end at Geneva included other global luminaries such as Ophira Ginsburg, Verna Vanderpuye, Anne Marie Beddoe, among other others and is likely to have a far-reaching impact on the policies related to gender disparity in health care delivery related to cancer.
Key recommendations
Cancer ranks as the top three causes of premature deaths in almost all women in all places of the world. Of the 2-3 million women around the world who die prematurely of cancer, at least 1.5 million deaths could be averted through primary prevention and early detection strategies. An additional 800,000 deaths could be averted if all women everywhere had access to optimal cancer care.
The report recommended researching, monitoring, and acting upon emerging cancer risks that disproportionately affect women and girls, including occupational and environmental factors.
A total of ten key findings and 10 key recommended actions and 10 corresponding areas of Priority action to advance an inclusive and gender transformative approach to cancer care.
Inspiring a real-word action plan
The Lancet Commission further said that through the launch event, the key findings and set of recommendations it hoped that it would be able to inspire real-world action for transformational change.
