programme

Supporting national civil society organisations and UICC members to develop the skills and knowledge to engage in national advocacy efforts for improved cancer control is a key priority for UICC, and the unique focus of the Cancer Advocates programme. In 2022, to increase the support provided to its membership, UICC has made available to all members the key resources and materials developed through the programme via UICC’s online learning platform, previously available only to selected cohorts of organisations.

This Master course will be a pre-requisite for the new one-year programme, that will provide further technical and skills-based training, access to a multidisciplinary pool of mentors and peer-to-peer learning opportunities. The Master course, available to all members, and the one-year programme are delivered in English, French and Spanish.

"UICC taught us to be strategic, to be diplomatic and to have good relationships with decision makers. It took our networking to another level. Little do they understand how important it is for us to be a member of UICC."

Alexandra Nuñez, President, Unidos Contra el Cáncer, Costa Rica

41 organisations have participated in the programme to date. Building on the learning from these two cohorts, UICC has developed a revised programme structure. The ‘Advocacy for improved cancer control’ online Master course will be delivered as an annual course to equip civil society organisations with foundational knowledge on how to develop national advocacy strategies for improved cancer control, using the comprehensive toolkits developed as part of the Cancer Advocates programme.

UICC is also committed to providing, where possible, grants to support organisations to implement their advocacy efforts. In 2022, these have included those focused on breast cancer, cervical cancer, and cancer and ageing, with the latter focused on the integration of geriatric oncology services into national health systems. Through these five one-year grants on cancer and ageing, 550,700 people were reached through campaigns, 2,042 healthcare professionals trained in caring for older people with cancer, six policy documents, legislation or guidelines informed by advocacy, and 50 key stakeholders and policy makers engaged in relevant discussions.

In 2022, UICC implemented the first of a series of actions to extend the reach and impact of the Technical Fellowships programme. These included allowing more flexibility for applicants in the length of fellowships awarded. Historically, one month in length, UICC started welcoming applications from between two weeks to two months. Applications continued to be possible in English and French.

2022 was also significant for the programme due to the steady lifting of travel restrictions, allowing fellowship visits to resume, with 41 fellowships taking place, compared to just 24 in 2021. Overall, 87 applications were received for the Technical Fellowships, and 34 fellowships were awarded, representing a 28% increase in applications, although still reduced compared to pre-pandemic levels.