C/Can, FTH, FTCI to Collaborate on
Optimizing Urban Cancer Care
(GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, and WASHINGTON, DC, USA) – City Cancer Challenge (C/Can), Fast-Track Health (FTH), and the Fast-Track Cities Institute (FTCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on optimizing urban cancer care. The partnership aims to strengthen health systems capacity worldwide by leveraging each organization’s expertise and networks to support the delivery of person-centered cancer care and improve health outcomes to achieve global cancer goals.
The MOU formalizes a shared commitment to improve access to standardized, quality modern cancer care in cities that are part of the C/Can and Fast-Track Cities networks of 15 and more than 550 cities, respectively, and 25+ countries with a critical mass of Fast-Track Cities to achieve national impact. The collaboration aims to build urban health system cancer care capacity with the goal of also building health system resilience by integrating cancer care within the broader framework of non-communicable disease (NCD) management.
“The current environment calls for stronger collaboration and complementarities between organizations supporting better access to health care across the globe,” said Ms. Isabel Mestres, C/Can’s CEO. “We are very pleased to partner with FTCI and FTH to leverage each organization’s strengths and continue driving sustainable change to improve access to quality cancer care at city level.”
FTCI and FTH view the collaboration with C/Can as a critical step towards accelerating progress towards achieving the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the World Health Organization (WHO) goal of reducing premature mortality from NCDs, including cancer, by one-third by 2030. An estimated 10 million people die from cancer globally every year, many preventable through cancer prevention, early detection and diagnosis, and treatment.
“By partnering with C/Can, we are taking a collaborative step towards addressing cancer care needs affecting urban populations globally,” said Dr. José M. Zuniga, President/CEO of FTH and FTCI. “Our partnership with C/Can reflects a joint commitment to optimize cancer care and support cities to meet the needs of their communities.”
Through the partnership, C/Can, FTH, and FTCI will focus on knowledge exchange, best practice-sharing, collaborative research, policy advocacy, and capacity building for urban cancer care, aiming to facilitate an integrated approach to managing the growing burden of cancer in urban settings. The joint effort will also include supporting health systems and healthcare providers to enhance cancer care delivery, with a special emphasis on low- and middle-income cities.
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About City Cancer Challenge (C/Can)
City Cancer Challenge (C/Can) is a global impact-driven not-for-profit transforming cancer care in resource-limited settings by enabling cities to lead change. Our model is backed by structured systems that help track outcomes, learn from what works, and scale impact sustainably. C/Can works in 16 cities across LMICs, supporting more than 6,000 stakeholders, and training over 2,000 healthcare professionals, while reaching over 764,000 patients with improved cancer care solutions. For more information, visit: https://citycancerchallenge.org/
About Fast-Track Health (FTH)
Fast-Track Health (FTH) is a global health organization focused on fast-tracking responses to communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as the health impacts of climate change. With 30,000 members worldwide, we are aligned with achieving the health-related UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Paris Agreement, Pact for the Future, and New Urban Agenda for everyone, everywhere. For more information, visit: FTHealth.org
About Fast-Track Cities Institute (FTCI)
The Fast-Track Cities Institute (FTCI) supports 550+ cities and municipalities to achieve the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). FTCI works across sectors and diseases, accelerating responses to communicable and non-communicable diseases and the climate-health nexus in collaboration with other urban health initiatives globally. For more information, visit: FTCInstitute.org