Malaysia honoured to host the World Cancer Congress and World Cancer Leaders’ Summit in 2018

2nd Mar, 2016
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Malaysia becomes the first nation in Southeast Asia to host the internationally acclaimed World Cancer Congress and the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit from the 1st to the 4th of October 2018 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC).

Recognised internationally as the foremost cancer conference, the Congress is expected to attract over 3,200 cancer experts from 115 countries representing the entire spectrum of the global cancer control community. It is also expected to boost regional efforts of the various governments and NGOs in Southeast Asia in cancer control and prevention.

Malaysia first started the groundwork to lobby for support by participating in the booth exhibitions at the World Cancer Congress 2012 in Montreal, Canada, followed by the World Cancer Congress 2014 in Melbourne, Australia.

The hosting of the World Cancer Congress 2018 in Kuala Lumpur, is not only an honour for Malaysia but also Southeast Asia. It is a reflection of the kind of close collaboration between the government and the NGOs and also part of the government’s focus through the National Cancer Institute on how serious we are about cancer control,” said the Chief Patron of the National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM), Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz.

Cancer is a disease that cuts across the whole spectrum of society and has nothing to do with status, position, race or whatever. Breakthrough ideas at the conference can be taken up to the government, namely the Ministry of Health, who can follow-up on the latest trends and treatment data in the national interest.

By bringing the World Cancer Congress to Malaysia, it is also a testimony of our capabilities and the state-of-the-art conference facilities we offer and how we can value-add to the success of this important conference. After all, Malaysia is also home to many prominent medical specialists who have made an international mark,” she continued.

The NCSM worked closely with the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) on the winning bid proposal which was submitted in September 2014 and a final decision on the host city was made in April 2015,” said Datuk Zulkefli Hj Sharif, the Chief Executive Officer of MyCEB.

In terms of economic impact for the country, we anticipate an approximate sum of RM 30 million in turn over from this business event as over sixty percent of the delegates will be coming from various countries around the globe,” he added.

NCSM signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) in October 2015 to host the 2018 World Cancer Congress and the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

UICC is the largest cancer-fighting organisation of its kind, with more than 400 member organisations across 120 countries. With its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, it is the leading non-governmental, non-profit, non-political and non-sectarian cancer organisation. UICC’s mission is to eliminate cancer as a life-threatening disease for future generations.

“Malaysia and Southeast Asia could help UICC to take the lead to convene the global cancer community and leave a long lasting impact within the region. This is the region where cancer control, better advocacy on cancer prevention, care and support is needed most. This will ultimately be the legacy from this World Cancer Congress,” said a statement in the winning bid document submitted to UICC.

In addition, we lobbied Dr Saunthari Somasundaram, President of NCSM to sit on the board of UICC. She is well known for playing an active role on cancer awareness activities in the region,” said Ms.Clare Ratnasingham, Vice President of NCSM.

The last World Cancer Congress in 2014 held in Melbourne garnered strong recognition amongst the global cancer community and has been acknowledged as the leading international conference on cancer control. Moving forward, NCSM and MyCEB are working closely to bring more delegates to Malaysia; and help create wider awareness on cancer from leaders, advocates, scientists, researchers and health experts,” she continued.

 “Besides MyCEB, the Ministry of Health, the National Cancer Institute, the Ministry of Women, Family & Community Development, the National Population & Family Development Board and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture are providing support in hosting of the World Cancer Congress 2018 and the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit in Kuala Lumpur,” said Ms Ho Yoke Ping, General Manager of Business Events, MyCEB.

Held every two years, the World Cancer Congress is a leading platform to exchange best practices in the implementation science of cancer prevention and control; and serve as a networking opportunity for the global cancer and wider health community.

This year the World Cancer Congress will be held from 31st October to 3rd November in Paris, France.

The Congress represents a unique and ideal platform for the international cancer control community to meet, discuss, share, learn, and connect in order to find solutions to reduce the impact of cancer on communities around the world.

MyCEB has been aggressively promoting Malaysia as the preferred destination for business and major events globally. Through MyCEB’s on-going efforts, Malaysia will be hosting conferences such as the Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) World Congress 2016, Congress of Asia Pacific Association of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology, the Emerging Leaders’ Dialogue Asia 2016, Offshore Technology Conference Asia (OTC) 2016, Healthcare Build Environment Asia 2016, International Congress of the International Society for Medical Shockwave Therapy (ISMST 2016) and Market Research in the Mobile World Asia-Pacific 2016,”reiterated Ms Ho Yoke Ping.

www.myceb.com.my

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