The Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL) provides a unique platform as the only organisation with the mission of uniting, at the European level, national and regional cancer leagues to achieve a cancer-free Europe. In coherence with the FPA 2018-2021, this SGA focuses on the core activities to be implemented in 2018 in respect of the following strategic objectives:
1) Informing policy to ensure cancer control remains high on the political agenda;
2) Promoting the European Code Against Cancer (ECAC) as the essential tool for cancer prevention;
3) Supporting leagues in the implementation of the Council Recommendation on Cancer Screening;
4) Uniting leagues to advocate for equal access to treatment, support, and rehabilitation for cancer patients;
5) Advocating for the European Guide for quality improvement in cancer control to be mainstreamed in national cancer plans.
In concrete terms, these objectives will be achieved by: the organisation of a policy dialogue during the European Week against Cancer (EWAC), and development of toolkit to facilitate the roll-out of this format across the EU during EWAC; increasing ECL actions on organised cancer screening by publishing a lay version of the recent EU cancer screening report, and developing training for cancer leagues in this area; promotion of the ECAC by networking cancer leagues, and enhancing the role of the ECL Youth Ambassadors in these efforts; publication of guidelines by the Patient Support Working Group and Access to Medicines Task Force of ECL; and ongoing secretariat function of the successful MEPs against Cancer group of the European Parliament. In addition, ECL will host two trainees from the EU Solidarity Corps, and develop a process to encourage the wider participation of cancer leagues in this initiative.
This proposal has relevance to the annual work programme through its focus on health determinants and health promotion, boosting cancer control, and equitable access to healthcare.
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The Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL) provides a unique platform as the only organisation with the mission of uniting, at the European level, national and regional cancer leagues to achieve a cancer-free Europe. In coherence with the FPA 2018-2021, this SGA focuses on the core activities to be implemented in 2019 in respect of the following strategic objectives:

1) Informing policy to ensure cancer control remains high on the political agenda;
2) Promoting the European Code Against Cancer (ECAC) as the essential tool for cancer prevention;
3) Supporting leagues in the implementation of the Council Recommendation on Cancer Screening;
4) Uniting leagues to advocate for equal access to treatment, support, and rehabilitation for cancer patients;
5) Advocating for the European Guide for quality improvement in cancer control to be mainstreamed in national
cancer plans.

These objectives will be achieved by several actions, including:
- performing a survey of national contact points to update the triennial tobacco control scale;
- securing the re-establishment of the MEPs against Cancer (MAC) group in the next mandate of the European Parliament;
- publishing a policy framework of supportive actions to implement the European Code against Cancer;
- developing a web portal on cancer screening to be hosted on the ECL website (www.cancer.eu);
- drafting and disseminating new guidelines on healthcare professionals communication with patients, and effective use of volunteers by cancer leagues;
- collecting best practice on the implementation of the CanCon guide at the national level.

This proposal has relevance to the annual work programme through its focus on health determinants and health promotion, boosting cancer control, and equitable access to healthcare.
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The Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL) provides a unique platform as the only organisation with the mission of uniting at the European level, national and regional cancer leagues to achieve a cancer-free Europe. In coherence with the FPA 2018-2021, this SGA focuses on the core activities to be implemented in 2020 in respect of the following strategic objectives:

1) Informing policy to ensure cancer control remains high on the political agenda;
2) Promoting the European Code Against Cancer (ECAC) as the essential tool for cancer prevention;
3) Supporting leagues in the implementation of the Council Recommendation on Cancer Screening;
4) Uniting leagues to advocate for equal access to treatment, support, and rehabilitation for cancer patients;
5) Advocating for the European Guide for quality improvement in cancer control to be mainstreamed in national cancer plans.

These objectives will be achieved by several actions, including:

- Organisation of the 8th European Conference on Tobacco or Health and publication of the latest Tobacco Control Scale report including data from 38 countries in the European region;
- Implementing the MEPs against Cancer (MAC) European elections manifesto through coordinated actions of the group, supporting four structured meetings of the group;
- Publishing the final report of the systematic evaluation of impact of the European Code against Cancer and informing policymakers and the scientific community of results;
- Enhancing the ECL Youth Ambassadors programme to reach at least 40 European Countries and all EU member states in 2020;
- Supporting the roadmap towards a 3rd implementation report on cancer screening in the EU;
- Publication by the Patient Support Working Group of new guidance and training at the national level to address cancer in the workplace;
- Continuation of the advocacy work of the ECL Access to Medicines Task Force implementing the 2018 'Let's Talk Access' White Paper on Equal Access to Medicines.
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EPHA's 2020 SGA work programme will build on the activities implemented in 2018 - 2019 with a view to attaining the objectives outlined in the 2018-2021 FPA in eight thematic priority areas: NCD prevention, access to medicines, antimicrobial resistance, digital health, healthy trade, access to health and care for disadvantaged groups, financing for public health and capacity building / organisational development. Each thematic priority includes its own operational objective for 2020 and is broken down into activities including milestones and 20 deliverables. Process, output and outcome indicators are provided for the corresponding specific objectives.
EPHA and its members will continue creating synergies between these areas to strengthen the evidence base, identify best practices and enable policy dialogue between the EU and national level. The beneficiaries are numerous: policymakers, civil society and the public. EPHA will support EU policymakers to better respond to the real health needs of ordinary people, while national stakeholders will be able to make better use of EU policies to play a more active role in EU policy-making.
The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals will be a thread running through all areas given that the issues EPHA is working on are multisectoral, involving both health and non-health stakeholders. We will work to ensure that reducing health inequalities will remain a priority in the context of the European Pillar of Social Rights and European Semester implementation.
A special focus will be placed on advocating public health friendly policies among new EU officials following the institutional renewal process, as well as newly elected MEPs who joined the European Parliament in 2019. This will be important for shaping the post-2020 policy and funding frameworks that will determine the level of attention paid to public health in general and to the inclusion of disadvantaged groups, including in the digital realm.

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EPHA's 2021 SGA proposal includes the continuation of activities in eight thematic priorities, designed to conclude the multiannual 2018-2021 FPA and reach its objectives. This will provide ongoing support to all areas of the Third Health Programme despite its formal expiry at the end of 2020.

Crucially, EPHA proposes to broaden its activities in light of the new European Commission priorities announced in 2019, and the significant socio-economic challenges, policy and funding opportunities for public health resulting from the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak. Moreover, 2021 will be a year of transition for EPHA as a new Strategic Plan will be implemented that will contain flexible policy clusters. Therefore, the 2021 SGA proposal incorporates activities in relation to the pandemic recovery process, the EU Green Deal, increased digitalisation and other pressing issues.

A big focus will be placed on developing EPHA's "financing for health" thematic priority, which suffered from lower resources in previous years. Given the the unprecedented EU funding available to tackle health threats and ensure health systems strengthening, EPHA aims to play a key role in ensuring that available funding streams will be spent wisely, inter alia to boost prevention, avoid new health/social inequalities and avoid austerity policies in health.

EPHA’s annual work programme will provide added EU value by supporting policymakers and civil society through the development of policy recommendations, best practice exchanges and peer learning, linking up EU and national public health stakeholders and building capacity.

The work will be undertaken by EPHA’s Secretariat team, supported by interns, trainees and external consultants contributing to specific deliverables and milestones.

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