Pöördumine

1

Riga, 10 January 2025

To: Ms Made Bambus, the Ministry of Social Affairs, Estonia

Invitation to Nominate Delegates for the EUCanScreen Governmental Advisory Board (GAB)

The European Joint Action EUCanScreen is aiming at reducing the burden of

cancer in Europe through effective and sustainable cancer screening programs.

The activities have been planned to ensure full implementation of evidence-

based, cost-effective and quality-assured screening programmes for breast,

cervical and colorectal cancers across the EU as well as preparing for possible

implementation of evidence-based, cost-effective and quality-assured screening

programmes for lung, prostate and gastric cancers. Ensuring proper program

governance and sustainability is an important factor to be addressed by the Joint

Action.

The outcomes of EUCanScreen are highly depending on the involvement and

support of the decision-makers in the Member States. To assure maximum gain

from the project while implementing the project outcomes, support from the

responsible specialists within the Ministries responsible for cancer screening is a

prerequisite. The establishment of a Governmental Advisory Board (GAB) is

therefore planned to support these endeavours and facilitate communication

between the decision-makers in Member States.

Therefore, on behalf of EUCanScreen we ask each of the EU Member States as

well as other countries participating in EUCanScreen to delegate between 2 and

3 representatives (one representative and one deputy as the minimum) from the

responsible ministry, or other similar institutions, with expertise in cancer

2

screening for participation in the GAB. The Governmental Advisory Board will be a

vital component of the EUCanScreen project. It will serve as a platform to engage

political decision-makers and funding authorities in shaping national strategies

and governance structures that align with the 2022 EU Council

Recommendation on Cancer Screening, Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, and

the WHO’s goal for the elimination of cervical cancer.

We expect delegates to participate in virtual meetings held twice a year, along

with 1-2 in-person meetings over the next three years. Additionally, they will be

responsible for sharing the acquired information within their respective ministries

and at the national level.

Please send the names and the contacts of the suggested delegates before the

end of January 2025 to screening@lu.lv.

Director of the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia, Mārcis Leja Scientific Project Manager of the EUCanScreen Project