The first Global NCD Alliance Forum will take place in November 2015, and will be hosted by Friends of Cancer Patients in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

The announcement came at a special side-event taking place last September as part of the UN General Assembly entitled ‘Strengthening the NCD civil society movement’.

The event was co-hosted by Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of the Ruler of Sharjah, Founder and Royal Patron of the Friends of Cancer Patients charity (FoCP), International Ambassador of the World Cancer Declaration for Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and International Ambassador for Childhood Cancer for UICC, the NCD Alliance and The Union for International Cancer Control.

Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher, was also announced as the Forum’s Ambassador as part of her commitment to the fight against cancer and NCDs at the global level, as well as within the UAE.  

“It is an honour and a privilege to be hosting this important and timely Global Forum with the NCD Alliance. My commitment to this Forum stems from a sense of urgency to act on the global NCD epidemic, and recognition for the importance of civil society in the response. I hope this Forum will galvanise greater attention and resources to the NCD civil society movement in low- and middle-income countries,” said Sheikha Jawaher.

“I believe that through awareness, many lives can be saved through better early detection. But this requires intensive and collective official, scientific and financial support,” Her Highness added.
The Forum will be the first of its kind, convening representatives from the growing network of national and regional NCD alliances. It will provide a platform for knowledge exchange, capacity building, priority setting, and facilitating twinning initiatives across the alliances.

Read press release here