Europa Uomo joins dozens of concerned cancer organisations

Concerns about the funding available to implement Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan have been raised by the European Cancer Organisation (ECO) and dozens of other cancer organisations, including Europa Uomo.

Under Beating Cancer, the EU has an ambitious agenda to transform cancer early detection and care in Europe, including recommending national prostate cancer screening programmes in all countries. However, there are worries that the “co-funding” model at the heart of the plan’s implementation will not be fit for purpose.

Europa Uomo has joined 83 other organisations in co-signing a letter from ECO to Europe’s Health Commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, drawing attention to the problem. The letter points out that EU4Health co-funding typically requires organisations interested in contributing to implementation to find 20%-40% of the costs incurred themselves.

“Each organisation represented in our signature list wishes most earnestly for the demonstrable success of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan,” says the letter. “However, this success cannot be achieved if the full funding for its ambition is not in existence and delivery partners are unable to come forward. The co-funding weakness of the EU4Health funding tool poses existential risk to the entire plan’s implementation achievement.”

The organisations are asking for a new dialogue on the issue, and that finding a resolution is prioritised.