Project PINK BLUE will be exhibiting at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting holding from June 3rd-7th, 2022, in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Project PINK BLUE will be the only Nigerian and African cancer non-profit exhibiting at the ASCO patient advocacy exhibition booth.
The Executive Director of Project PINK BLUE, Runcie C.W. Chidebe, in a press release issued in Abuja explained that founded in 1964, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is one of the world’s largest oncology organizations, advancing the frontiers of cancer research, providing outstanding educational opportunities, and defining standards of practice for clinical cancer care.
He said over 2,500 cancer research papers will be presented and thousands of oncology professionals from around the world are expected at the 2022 ASCO annual meeting in Chicago.
“Exhibiting at the 2022 ASCO annual meeting is an enviable opportunity to spotlight Project PINK BLUE, our patient advocacy activities and more significantly to speak on the issues of global inequities in access to cancer care and treatment in Africa.
“We will utilise this ASCO patient advocacy exhibition to speak for hundreds of cancer patients in hinterlands who cannot have access to palliative medications and mostly die in pain, who are in dire of radiotherapy but it’s not available and patients whose treatment outcome would have been better if they have access to clinical trial.
“Cancer is now one of the most pathetic examples of inequities in health outcomes. In high-income countries, survival rates for childhood cancer are over 80% but in Africa is as low as 20%.
“Many cancer medications are not field-tested in low-income countries, as of 2020, there are less than six oncology clinical trials in Nigeria. We need a truly global cancer control efforts and ASCO has the potential to engage global leaders towards that conversation.
“Hence, we have designed hundreds of materials and will speak to different cancer leaders on these issues,” he said.
He said Oncology professionals attending ASCO annual meeting are encouraged to visit Project PINK BLUE at exhibition booth 3005 to learn about the non-profit’s work and activities in Africa including Upgrade Oncology- an educational programme focused on bringing American doctors to Nigeria to train doctors, nurses, pharmacists and pathologists with support from U.S. Mission Nigeria.
