Global Cancer Prevention
In countries where the cancer burden is steadily increasing, we work to enhance access to relevant cancer education and strengthen policies that support healthy living. We do this work through a number of different initiatives.
All of Me: Cancer education, advocacy, and communication program for women and girls
Prevent20: Coalition of cancer groups calling on governments to raise tobacco taxes
PROACTT: Supports research on the implementation of more effective tobacco taxation policies
The Tobacco Atlas: Comprehensive and accessible resource on the tobacco epidemic
African Tobacco Control Consortium (ATCC): Promoted tobacco control policies in sub-Saharan Africa
Global Smokefree Worksite Challenge (GSWC): A multi-sector initiative for employers to make their worksites smoke-free or completely tobacco-free
Global Bridges: Unites health care providers in their efforts to treat tobacco dependence
Preventing Cervical Cancer through HPV Vaccination
What we do: The American Cancer Society is committed to increasing HPV vaccination coverage in the US and across the globe. While recognizing the critical importance of cancer screening and continuing to champion it in our messaging, our efforts in 2018-2020 will focus on leveraging the resources and expertise being built internally to scale up HPV vaccine coverage and support partners in low- and middle-income countries to do the same.
The Global Prevention team is supporting several country partner projects under our former “All of Me” program that was created to encourage improved local education and communication on all the things a women and girl could do throughout her lifetime to reduce her cancer risk. Our site will be under repair for a short while but we will soon be posting progress reports on all these vital projects.
Where we work: The Global Prevention program currently supports projects in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, India, Kenya and Uganda. Our network of local implementation partners include: Tómatelo a Pecho (Mexico), the Liga Colombiana contra el Cáncer (Colombia), the Fundación para la Prevención y el Tratamiento del Cáncer (Colombia), the International Society for Nurses in Cancer Care (Mexico, Colombia and Brazil), the Uganda Women’s Cancer Support Organization (Uganda), the Women 4 Cancer Early Detection and Treatment (Kenya), and the Indian Cancer Society (India).
Announcements: ACS is pleased to announce two new All of Me partnerships with Uganda Women’s Cancer Support Organization (UWOCASO) and Women 4 Cancer Early Detection and Treatment (Women 4 Cancer). Read full announcement here.
Expanding tobacco control efforts
A wide range of policies can influence how populations are exposed to cancer risk factors. Because tobacco use is the largest single source of cancer deaths worldwide, we believe that the cancer control community must take up the call to support policies that can help reduce tobacco consumption and prevent potential new users from starting.
Making tobacco products less affordable
Making tobacco products less affordable is the single most effective tobacco control intervention to reduce tobacco use and cancer deaths. This is why our current strategy focuses on tobacco taxation policy as a smart solution for cancer prevention.
Prevent20
What we do: At the global level, the Society has pledged to support Prevent20, a coalition of cancer groups calling on governments to raise tobacco taxes, the single most effective tobacco control intervention. Prevent20 promotes tobacco taxes as a powerful solution for large-scale cancer prevention. It educates and activates cancer advocates to persuade their country governments to take up smart tax policy as a critical cancer prevention tool.
The name Prevent20 is a reminder of the more than 20% of all global cancer deaths that are attributable to tobacco use. The Prevent20 team brings together a dynamic group of technical, advocacy and communications experts to offer tobacco taxation support and guidance to the cancer community.
Where we work: This is a global initiative. We currently have projects in Colombia, Bangladesh, Chile and the Mercosur region.
How to partner with us: You can learn more about Prevent20 on our website, by following us on Twitter or writing us an email at prevent20@cancer.org.
Country-level initiatives (PROACTT)
Despite the large body of evidence confirming the effectiveness of tobacco taxes, this measure is largely underutilized in many countries around the world, partially due to ongoing efforts of the tobacco industry to mislead policy-makers into thinking that increasing tobacco taxes will harm economies, livelihoods and lives. The Prevent20 program will begin to break down these mistruths and increase country-level demand to raise taxes. To assist motivated countries, the Society’s Economic and Health Policy Research (EHPR) and the Global Cancer Prevention and Early Detection teams offer targeted financial, technical and research support. Current projects are active in Colombia, Bangladesh, Chile and the Mercosur region.
What we do: As an important part of our efforts to meet country needs, we are pleased to partner with Cancer Research UK through the Programme for Research, Advocacy and Capacity Building on Tobacco Taxation (PROACTT). PROACTT supports the formation of research teams from specific low- and middle-income countries that will undertake policy research and advocacy work with the aim of supporting governments to implement more effective tobacco taxation policies. Country teams will have the opportunity to work with EHPR, ACS Can, and local economic and advocacy mentors and attend in-country training workshops on a variety of topics such as tobacco economics, research methods, policy advocacy and communication skills.
Where we work: Specific low- and middle-income countries
How to partner with us: You can find out more about PROACTT here or by emailing the program at proactt@cancer.org.uk.
A global reference in tobacco control: The Tobacco Atlas
The Tobacco Atlas, a joint publication of the Society and Vital Strategies (formerly World Lung Foundation) is the most comprehensive, informative, and accessible resource on the pressing issues in the evolving tobacco epidemic. The first edition of the Tobacco Atlas was published by the WHO in 2002 to meet the growing need for global and country-specific data on tobacco control issues such as consumption among adults, dangers to health, etc. Sixteen years later, the sixth edition of the Atlas and its fully-featured website, released in March 2018, explores every key facet of tobacco control, demonstrating that we already have the proven tools to fight the tobacco epidemic effectively—we just have to have the will to use them.
The Society is proud to offer this resource, which you can consult and download for free at tobaccoatlas.org, to tobacco control advocates around the world.
Longstanding tobacco control partnerships
Over the years, the Society had the honor and privilege of supporting a number of tobacco control partnerships that were instrumental in offering the tobacco control community key resources, tools and technical guidance to protect populations from the harms of tobacco use.
The African Tobacco Control Consortium
What we do: From 2009-2014, the Society collaborated on a 5-year project called the African Tobacco Control Consortium (ATCC). The ATCC promoted evidence-based tobacco control and laid the groundwork for ongoing comprehensive policy work in sub-Saharan Africa aimed at stopping the emerging epidemic. The ATCC was a coalition coordinated by the American Cancer Society in partnership with the Africa Tobacco Control Alliance, Framework Convention Alliance, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, and the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. The ATCC ended in 2014 and was funded primarily through an $8 million grant awarded to the Society by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Download a PDF brochure about ATCC for more information.
Where we work: sub-Saharan Africa
How to partner with us: This program ended in 2014.
The Global Smokefree Worksite Challenge
What we do: The Global Smokefree Worksite Challenge (GSWC) was a global, multi-sector initiative for employers to make their worksites smoke-free or completely tobacco-free. The GSWC assisted employers in establishing smoke-free worksites and broadening their policies to establish completely tobacco-free campuses when appropriate. Along with Johnson & Johnson, the Mayo Clinic, GBCHealth, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the Society was a proud founding partner of this initiative aimed at protecting populations from secondhand smoke in the workplace setting.
Where we work: Worldwide initiative
How to partner with us: After the initiative came to an end in 2016, the Society committed to ensuring the availability of the high-quality tools developed over the years. Access the materials here.
Global Bridges
What we do: Global Bridges is a worldwide science-based initiative created with the aim of uniting health care providers in their efforts to treat tobacco dependence while advocating for effective tobacco control policies. This collaborative partnership between the Mayo Clinic and the Society brings together health care providers with complementary expertise to build awareness about the harms of tobacco use, enhance access to proven treatment methods, adapt to regional needs, and increase the pace of skill development throughout each of the World Health Organization’s six regions.
Where we work: Worldwide initiative
How to partner with us: You can find out more about Global Bridges on their website or by following the initiative on Twitter.