At the recent General Assembly of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), which was held virtually for the first time, Anil D’Cruz, MD, of India, was welcomed as the organization’s new President. Full member organizations also elected the 2020–2022 Board of Directors, including President-Elect Jeff Dunn, AO, PhD, GAICD, of Australia.
During the event—which was chaired by the outgoing President, Her Royal Highness Princess Dina Mired of Jordan—Dr. D’Cruz reflected on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on cancer organizations around the world and the ways in which it emphasizes the need to engage with governments to ensure that cancer care remains a top priority.
Anil D’Cruz, MD
Jeff Dunn, AO, PhD, GAICD
Princess Dina Mired
In his vision for the next 2 years, Dr. D’Cruz said: “UICC will continue to strengthen its support for member organizations as they adapt to a changing health landscape, drive innovation to advance cancer control in a way that makes it more equitable, pursue its core advocacy priorities, and reinforce community spirit and collaboration.”
Looking Ahead
The new President-Elect, Dr. Dunn, is a behavioral scientist and Chief Executive Officer of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. Dr. Dunn has worked closely with UICC for 30 years, serving on the Board for the past 6 years and as Treasurer for the past 4 years. He is particularly committed to harnessing the collective capacity of UICC and the cancer community to inspire action toward achieving the goal of a 25% reduction in premature mortality worldwide by 2025.
Dr. Dunn commented: “Being called to contribute my time and expertise is a great honor and a wonderful opportunity to fortify our global work at the local level to save lives. As President-Elect, I will continue to devote my time to addressing the health and well-being of the community, to prevent cancer when we can, and to support those diagnosed when it strikes.”
UICC’s new Board of Directors for 2020–2022 was also elected during an online voting process. Elected Board Members hail from UICC member organizations representing Brazil, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Portugal, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
As outgoing President, Princess Mired emphasized the achievements made by UICC and its members during her tenure and thanked the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer for their unwavering support and valuable input. The Board of UICC and Dr. D’Cruz thanked Princess Mired for her commitment as President of UICC, noting the energy and enthusiasm she brought to the role.
