The landmark National Conference on Cancer Prevention and Control organized by the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe was held on the 16th of September 2011 under the theme; ‘Bringing the Cancer Burden on the National Health Agenda’ and was attended by over 80 delegates including political leaders, cancer experts, government officials, cancer survivors, civil society organisations, media, Non Governmental Organisations and the private sector.

Having noted that cancer is now killing more people than HIV and AIDS, TB and Malaria combined globally. Also noting that Zimbabwe sees, on average, 7000 cancer cases each year and only a fraction of these – some 700 to 1500 is treated and that the HIV and AIDS pandemic is augmenting the rate of HIV-related cancers, with 60% of new cancers in Zimbabwe being associated with HIV and AIDS.
We Resolve the Following:

• Integration of cancer control in Community, School and Workplace Health Promotion Programmes
• Availing of free screening (including pap smears, clinical breast examinations and PSA) at primary health level
• Resourcing of the current National Cancer Control Strategy development process by government
• Health Systems Strengthening – improvement on human resources for health (HRH), financing, medical equipment and medical products
• That cancer be made a standalone issue, with an established multi-sectoral national cancer task force / council
• Decentralisation of the cancer prevention and control programme with structures similar to those of the National AIDS Council (NAC)
• Development of a Cancer Business Forum
• Increased targeted cancer funding from fiscus
• Advocacy and lobbying for increased political will
• Addition of cancer to the list of notifiable disease in the long term
• Lobbying for the inclusion of cancer in the journalism curricula

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