First Ladies from Muslim countries to raise awareness for the need for greater cancer control in the Islamic world

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia), 06 April. - (ANA) - First Ladies from Muslim world countries will convene in Istanbul to explore ways ofenhancing access to cancer treatment in the Islamic world. The Special Session will take place during the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) 13th Islamic Summit Conference to be hosted by the Government of Turkey between April 10-15th and will end with a formal OIC declaration on the issue.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the largest Muslim body in the world and the world’s second largest inter-governmental body after the U.N. with 57 member states.
The OIC Islamic Summit is the supreme authority of the OIC, composed of Kings, Presidents and other Heads of State from across the OIC’s 57 member states. It convenes every three years to jointly review how to advance political, economic and social progress across the Islamic world. It will next convene on April 10-15th in Istanbul, hosted by the Government of Turkey.
In a first act of its kind in the Islamic Summit Conferences, the First Ladies of OIC Member States will hold a special session during the 13th Islamic Summit Conference titled: “First Ladies’ Leadership on Cancer Control in the OIC Member States” at the upcoming Islamic Summit in Istanbul.
Participants will include First Ladies representing countries with high incidents of deaths caused by cancer in the Islamic world (according to World Health Organisation statistics) including Turkey, Afganistan, Malaysia, and Lebanon amongst others
Dr. Mehmet Müezzinoglu, Minister of Health of Turkey, will inaugurate the session which will be addressed by the OIC Secretary General, H.E. Iyad Ameen Madani and the First Lady of Turkey, Mrs. Emine Erdogan.
The session will also address one of the key thematic areas of the OIC’s Strategic Health Programme of Action 2014-2023 for the Islamic world (OIC-SHPA).
The special session will enable First Ladies of OIC Member States to discuss their individual involvement in the fight against cancer, as well as the potential for enhanced cross-national collaboration, advocacy and exchange of experiences in mobilizing a broad range of partners to increase cancer awareness and expand access to effective diagnosis and treatment services across the Islamic world.
Commenting on the event, Ms. Maha Akeel, Director of the OIC Information Department,
said the special session was intended to create and enhance awareness about the increasing cancer burden in OIC Member States and to explore ways of expanding access to effective cancer prevention, diagnostics, treatment and care.
Ms. Akeel also pointed out that the special session would discuss the most common cancers among women in the Islamic world.
The OIC Secretary General said “The Islamic summit, as a gathering of Heads of State from across the Muslim world is designed to address some of the pressing challenges facing the Muslim world. It is only right that a major transnational health challenge like cancer which deserves an international response forms part of those discussions”.
He added “having First Ladies from OIC Countries address this important issue also serves as a powerful visible display of Muslim women making important contributions to public life.”
“First Ladies, as leaders, women, mothers, and daughters bring a unique passion, perspective, and position to resolving the pressing issues affecting their fellow citizens. They can effectively use their unique platform to bring about transformational changes to societal challenges, including the fight against cancer.”
The special session is expected to adopt a “Declaration of OIC First Ladies Leadership on Cancer Control”.
The OIC was founded in 1969 and is the second largest inter-governmental organization in the world with 57 sovereign member states from across the Islamic world.
The organization is “the collective voice of the Muslim world and works to "safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony".
The Islamic Summit is the supreme authority of the Organization composed of Kings and Heads of State and convenes every three years.
The 13th Islamic Summit will be convened in Istanbul, Turkey between April 10-15th. - ( ANA) -

AB/ANA/ 06 April 2016 - - -