PD 13 - Setting a New Agenda for Women and Cancer

Women are the cornerstone of all societies – in families, healthcare, communities and the workplace. They not only face unique challenges in maternal and reproductive health, but even in diseases not unique to women, they often have poorer outcomes. Perhaps most critically, NCDs have been the leading cause of women’s mortality for decades. In cancer, for example, in addition to the 8.5 million newly diagnosed cases a year, the lion's share of family and community care falls on women the world over. The women's perspective has not been central to policy decision making and we have been slow to recognize and act upon the importance of the role of women.

Now, with the unprecedented disruption brought by COVID-19, how can we look to the future to support an agenda and initiatives that positively support women’s health moving forward?

In this session Roche will bring together experts from the public and private sectors to assess the current status of women’s health, particularly in regard to cancer.