Wednesday, 17 November 2021

MEDIA ADVISORY

 Virtual press conference/event on cervical cancer elimination efforts

When: Wednesday, 17 November, 15:00 - 17:00 CET (Geneva time)

Subject: One-Year of Cervical Cancer Elimination Effort

This virtual press conference and special event will commemorate a landmark Day of Action for Cervical Cancer Elimination and welcome groundbreaking new initiatives to end this devastating disease, which claims the lives of over 300,000 women each year. Cervical cancer hits women in the poorest countries hardest: 9 in 10 deaths occur in low and middle income countries. 

WHO is highlighting important new breakthroughs to prevent and treat the disease, including the prequalification of a fourth vaccine (Cecolin from Innovax) for human papillomavirus (HPV), which is expected to increase vital vaccination supply. New recommendations will be announced to guide research into the use of artificial intelligence-based screening technologies. And a new Collaborating Centre for Cervical Cancer Elimination will be unveiled. 

Speakers and line-up (subject to change):

Part 1: Press event - 15:00 – 15:54

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General

H.E. Jeannette Kagame, First Lady of Rwanda 

H.E. Tsepho Ramaphosa, First Lady of South Africa

H.E. Neo Jane Masisi, First Lady of Botswana

H.E  Adjoavi Sika Kabore, First Lady of the Republic of Burkina Faso

Australian Government – H.E. Ambassador Sally Mansfield

Ms Karen Nakawala – Survivor/Advocate in Zambia

Dr Princess Nothemba (Nono) Simelela, Assistant Director-General, Special Advisor to the Director-General, Strategic Priorities

Partner Commitments:

Unitaid – Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director

FIND – Professor Ilona Kickbusch, Member of the Board

The French government’s L’Initiative facility, Eric Fleutelot, Technical director, Major pandemics Unit

University of Miami collaborating centre - frontline healthcare worker in Little Haiti 

MEDIA Q+A

Part 2: Day of Action Broadcast – 15:55 – 17:00

Dr Princess Nothemba (Nono) Simelela, Assistant Director-General, Special Advisor to the Director-General, Strategic Priorities

Survivors from different countries

Henrietta Lacks Family

Western Pacific

South-East Asia and Eastern Mediterranean

Angélique Kidjo - Singer/Songwriter

East Africa

Southern Africa

West / Central Africa

Youth – Commonwealth Task Force

Europe

North America 

South America 

Professor Groesbeck Parham, Co-Chair of Director-General’s Expert Group on Cervical Cancer Elimination

Musical Closing: Sea of Change - Cancer survivors musical group in Ireland

Dr Princess Nothemba (Nono) Simelela, Assistant Director-General, Special Advisor to the Director-General, Strategic Priorities

Join via Zoom:

• Link: https://who-e.zoom.us/j/91458276479
• Passcode: CCED1117

Join by phone:

• Webinar ID: 914 5827 6479
• Numeric passcode for phone access: 07033217
• International numbers available: https://who-e.zoom.us/u/aR2Zpb0j

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS:

Please ensure you enter your name and media outlet (use name/outlet). Kindly note, only questions from media (one per journalist) are allowed. When you sign in you will be automatically put in the meeting room.

WHO reserves the right to remove any participant whose behaviour causes any disruption. The event is also broadcast on WHO social media channels and you can follow it there.

To ask a question, please click "raise hand" and this will enter you into the queue for questions. (It can be found under the tab: participants.) 

Please make sure you have a microphone connected or active on your computer. Do not ask questions via the chat as we cannot guarantee that we will can incorporate them into the q&a session. 

For translation during the VPC, choices are under "interpretation" or "language interpretation" depending on which version of Zoom you use.

Due to the volume of questions, we are no longer able to take them from phone callers and interpretation is not available via telephone.

Media contacts:
mediainquiries@who.int

You are receiving this NO-REPLY email because you are included on a WHO mail list.
If you have been forwarded this update you can click here to subscribe.
Journalists may send feedback to WHO Media Team