In November, I attended the European Cancer Summit 2024 in Brussels to represent the work of RCN members Mohamad Ibrahim, Rachel Hollis and Dr Ethna McFerran (previous Chair of the RCN Cancer Forum), whose poster presentation entitled ‘Cancer Care in Humanitarian Crises: The Role of Global Nursing Organisations Impact of Conflict in Cancer Care’ synthetised some of the available evidence on the devastation in cancer care caused by humanitarian crises in regions like Sudan, Gaza, and Ukraine. In these areas, severely damaged infrastructure and shortages of staff are crippling access to care, leaving patients without timely treatment. Nursing staff play a vital role but face significant challenges, with limited support from global nursing organisations, their work highlighted the need for stronger advocacy and co-ordination. 

The event united policymakers, health care professionals, researchers, patient advocates and industry leaders to discuss the future of cancer care in Europe under the theme "United Against Cancer: Forging New Frontiers." The event emphasised cross-sector collaboration and the alignment of the EU Beating Cancer Plan with the Cancer Mission to harmonise prevention, treatment and survivorship strategies.  

Key discussions at the summit focused on building resilient cancer care ecosystems through international partnerships, highlighting the importance of shared knowledge and resources. Patient advocates shared powerful narratives that underscored the need for personalised and holistic support systems, reinforcing that patient voices must be integrated into policymaking. Innovative digital health tools like telemedicine were showcased, illustrating how technology can enhance accessibility while complementing in-person care. 

Importantly, the significant disparities in cancer care were also addressed, with a strong emphasis on creating sustainable systems for equitable, high-quality care for all patients in all contexts. The summit concluded with a call for meaningful partnerships engaging healthcare professionals and patients to drive these efforts forward.

The review from Mohamad and colleagues built upon an RCN Congress item from last year, and continued the call for unified efforts to protect health care workers, ensure continuity of cancer services, and support nurses in conflict zones. Research has found that mitigating the impact on cancer care and upholding global health and human rights can only happen with multi-agency collaboration.

During the poster discussion session, many delegates showed interest in this work and actively reflected on the urgency of joining efforts as an international community to mitigate the impact of these humanitarian crises on health care workers, particularly nurses.

From the RCN’s perspective, an important highlight of this summit was the ‘Together Against Cancer in a Time of Crisis’ session organised by the Emergencies and Crises Network. In this session, experts discussed the challenges around conflict and health care, particularly cancer, and issued a call to action to deliver practical solutions for cancer patients in crisis situations. There is an urgent need to act to support health care professionals and patients affected by conflict in the Middle East, African Region  and Ukraine. Humanitarian law must be enforced, the vulnerable must be protected, and health care workers (the majority of which are nursing staff) must be sheltered and supported.

Further reading:

European Cancer Organisation. European Cancer Summit 2024 Selected Abstracts

M. Ibrahim, R. Hollis, E. McFerran (2024) Cancer care in humanitarian crises: The role of global nursing organisations, Journal of Cancer Policy, 24 December.