UICC congratulates new Board members for City Cancer Challenge

The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) congratulates the new members who have joined the Board of City Cancer Challenge (C/Can) on 1 May 2024:

• Dr Verna Vanderpuye, Senior Consultant Clinical Oncologist at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana;
• Dr Saunthari Somasundaram, President and Medical Director of the National Cancer Society Malaysia; and
• Santiago Cornejo, Executive Manager at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

Dr Vanderpuye and Dr Somasundaram joined the C/Can Board as UICC seat holders, replacing Dr Mary Gospodarowicz and Professor Sanchia Aranda, who were appointed when UICC launched C/Can in 2019. 

“We are confident that they will bring valuable insights and expertise to the C/Can Board, and help advance the mission of improving access to quality cancer care in cities around the world. We also thank Mary and Sanchia for their outstanding contributions and leadership during their tenure on the Foundation Board, and for their continued support of UICC and C/Can as past presidents of UICC.” 
– Dr Cary Adams, CEO of UICC 

C/Can is a multi-stakeholder initiative that supports cities to take the lead in the design, planning and implementation of cancer solutions that are tailored to their local context and integrated with existing health systems. C/Can was launched by UICC at the 2017 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos as a response to the urgent need to address the growing burden of cancer in low- and middle-income countries, where more than 60% of cancer deaths occur. In 2019, UICC launched  C/Can as an independent Swiss foundation and it has now engaged with more than 20 cities in low and middle-income countries. UICC as the founder of the Foundation and strategic partner holds two seats of the C/Can Board of Directors.  

UICC looks forward to working closely with the new C/Can Board and the entire C/Can team to support the delivery of sustainable and equitable cancer care solutions that meet the needs of people living with cancer and their families.