NAIROBI DECLARATION OF AFRICAN FIRST LADIES/SPOUSES ONCERVICAL, BREAST AND PROSTATE CANCER AGREED UPON AT THE

9TH SCCA HELD IN NAIROBI, KENYA FROM 19TH -21STJULY, 2015

THEME: INVESTING TO SAVE LIVES: THE ROLE OF PUBLIC & PRIVATESECTOR PARTNERSHIPS

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WE, the African First Ladies/Spouses, Parliamentarians and Ministers, meeting at the 9th Stop Cervical, Breast and Prostate Cancer Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, from 19th to 21st July 2015;

DEEPLY CONCERNED by the ever-increasing multiple burden of communicableand non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the African Region and the associateddisabilities, excessive and unnecessary pain as well as premature deaths,particularly for women, the poor and marginalized populations;

REALIZING that reproductive cancers and other non-communicable diseases canbe mainly prevented and controlled through healthy lifestyles, regular screeningand early detection as well as appropriate and timely treatment, especially in thecase of breast cancer;

NOTING the commitment made by Heads of State and Government in September2011 in the Political Declaration at the High-level Meeting of the UN GeneralAssembly on the Prevention and Control of NCDs reaffirming the right ofeveryone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical andmental health as well as achieving the WHO Voluntary Global Target of a 25%relative reduction in risk of premature mortality from cardiovascular diseases,cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory diseases;

REFLECTING the 2011 Brazzaville Declaration by Ministers of Health onprevention and control of Non-Communicable Diseases in the WHO Africanregion;

APPRECIATING the various initiatives undertaken by the Forum of African FirstLadies/Spouses in the prevention and control of cancer of the cervix, breast andprostate is of utmost importance;

RECOGNIZING that while the UN Declaration on the prevention and control ofNCDs calls for the Government to assume a primary role and responsibility; publicprivate partnerships in the health sector in investing to save lives through healthsystem strengthening;

CONVINCED that in order to address cancer successfully, a multi-sectoral, wholeof government, whole of society and whole of life course approach must beadopted;

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Hereby COMMIT to the following:

1. REAFFIRM individually and collectively, our previous commitments aimedat halting and reducing the burden of cervical, breast and prostate cancers;

2. PROMOTE the development, strengthening and implementation ofevidence based health policies and programs through an integrated healthsystems approach that is focused on assuring adequate human, technical andfinancial resources to achieve universal health coverage to prevent andcontrol cervical, breast and prostate cancers, reduce suffering and prematuredeath;

3. ADVOCATE for innovative public private partnerships in ensuringaccelerated access to quality health services for the promotion of healthylifestyles, prevention, early detection, treatment, care and palliative care forcervical, breast and prostate cancers in Africa;

4. ADVOCATE for initiatives on price reduction to support affordability andavailability of essential medicines, vaccines and technologies whilemaintaining a high quality for prevention and management of cervical,breast and prostate cancer;

5. PROMOTE cancer prevention and control awareness in partnerships withcommunity, religious and academic institutions, patients support groups,civil society organizations and the media;

6. MOBILIZE political and community support to strengthen linkages betweencancer and HIV programs to achieve zero AIDS deaths, zero transmission ofHIV from mother to child and zero new HIV infections among adolescentsand young women;

7. SUPPORT the efforts of our Governments to enhance the participation ofAfrican research institutes, universities, civil society, private sector, bilateraland multilateral partners to support cancer prevention and managementprograms in Africa;

8. PROVIDE STEWARDSHIP as First Ladies/Spouses, Parliamentarians andMinisters to intensify awareness and efforts towards halting and reducingthe burden of cancer by 2030.

ISSUED AND SIGNED IN NAIROBI ON THE 21ST JULY, 2015

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