Morocco to host symposium on cancer in January

HRH Princess Lalla Salma announced, on Tuesday in New York, that Morocco will host in January a symposium to examine the means to fight cancer. This event will be an opportunity to ponder on issues relating to cancer, HRH Princess Lalla Salma, Chairwoman of the Lalla Salma association for the fight against cancer (ALSC), said during a dinner reception offered by HM King Mohammed VI, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s high-level meeting on NCDs (September 19-20) "The association that I have the honor to chair will be pleased to share its experience with renowned institutions from friendly and brotherly countries”, said HRH the Princess, who leads the Moroccan delegation to the UN summit on NCDs. The Symposium “will lay the foundation for a fruitful cooperation between our countries”, she underscored. On the same occasion, HRH the princess showcased the actions taken by the ALSC to prevent cancer and help patients, noting that, thanks to a national fund, access to treatment was improved with 20,000 patients annually receiving radiotherapy and another 22.000 benefiting from free medicine. She added that 320,000 women annually benefit from an early detection programme ensured by the ALSC, which also launches awareness raising campaigns in the media. The reception was attended by Princesses Ghida Talal and Dina Mired of Jordan, Chairwoman and Director General of the King Hussein cancer foundation respectively. Chairman of the UN General Assembly Nassir Abdulaziz  Al-Nasser, the Maldives Vice President Mohamed Waheed, Togolese Prime Minister Gilbert Houngbo, as well as several Foreign and Health Ministers, Ambassadors, senior officials from the UN and the World Health Organisation were also in attendance.