Today on the first session of the European Parliament’s special committee on beating cancer MEP Ivars Ijabs (“Attīstībai/Par!”) was elected as co-chair of this committee. The committee’s task will be to support research, clinical trials, preemptive healthcare and treatment of cancer, development of cancer treatment, and outlining of priorities and evaluation of the EU’s capabilities in treating certain types of cancer.

European Union already was working on lowering the chances of getting cancer for its citizens. The EU adopted essential legislation, for example, regarding tobacco, occupational health, food security, and the prevention of environmental pollution. The president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen is dedicated to introducing a new Union-wide plan of combating cancer, which would include the whole cycle from preemptive healthcare and early diagnosis to treatment and will pay attention to patients and from cancer recovered people life quality.

Also, European Parliament created a special committee to promote the issue, in which in today’s session one of the co-chairs was elected members of the liberals and centrists “Renew Europe” group MEP Ivars Ijabs. Ijabs will work to promote research and to lower the gap between cancer observation and treatment between EU’s wealthiest and the least wealthy Member States.

“Scientists believe that today at least half of the cancer cases are avoidable. There is a need for bigger European investments into cancer science, data processing, and clinical trials for new cancer treatments. This is why the EU’s new research program ‘Horizon Europe’ combating cancer will be one of the five important missions for the researchers. Cancer is caused by a complex combination of factors, however, by changing environments and chemicals influence, lowering harmful habitats, and supporting preemptive healthcare, the overall amount of cancer cases will lower. This everyday fight against cancer could be actively supported in Europe, and in the Member States,” points out MEP Ivars Ijabs.

In the European Union every year cancer is diagnosed with around 3,5 million people, and every year around 1,3 million people die from cancer illnesses. In some period of life around 40% of the European inhabitants are facing cancer, and this is the second most common cause of death. In Latvia every year 6 thousand people die from cancer, and the average rate of cancer illness in Latvia is higher than the EU average.