Cancer Care in Humanitarian Crises: From Neglect to Action

Friday, September 25, 2026 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM · 1 hr. (Asia/Hong_Kong)
Convention Hall A
Parallel Session

Information

Session organised by AORTIC, King's College London, Médicins Sans Frontières (MSF)

Chaired by Ophira Ginsburg, Médicins Sans Frontières, Imperial College London (France), Claire Rieux, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) (France)

Presentations:

1. Introduction - Ophira Ginsburg, Médicins Sans Frontières, Imperial College London (France)

2. Cancer in conflict and displacement in African settings - Nazik Hammad

3. Cancer care in Ukraine: lessons from Mission Kharkiv - Stanislav Polozov, Mission Kharkiv (Ukraine)

4. Cancer Care Challenges in Mali: Navigating Low Resources and Conflict Zones - Fatoumata Sidibe, Ministry of Health, Mali and Médecins Sans Frontières (Mali)

5. The neglected crisis in Gaza- the lived experience - Eman Shannan, Aid and Hope Program for Cancer Patients Care, Gaza, Palestine. (Palestine, State of)

Theme
4. Cancer treatment and palliative care
Objectives
Over 110 million people are forcibly displaced by conflict, disaster, and climate shocks—yet access to cancer treatment and palliative care in humanitarian settings remains critically limited. Recent analyses in The Lancet and The Lancet Oncology call for urgent integration of oncology into humanitarian response, arguing that cancer care is no longer a “luxury” but a lifesaving necessity. This session will convene humanitarian actors, oncologists, policymakers, and individuals with lived experience in different humanitarian settings to explore how essential cancer services—diagnosis, treatment, pain relief, and palliative care—can be delivered amid crisis and instability. Through cross-sector examples and innovative partnerships, participants will learn how to strengthen care pathways, ensure continuity of treatment, and integrate cancer into global health security and humanitarian frameworks.
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