Elekta Foundation’s cancer care successes in Rwanda to be expanded in other low-income countries
Lacy Hubbard, President of the Elekta Foundation, says positive outcomes in past year will lay the groundwork for coming years
KIGALI, Rwanda , February 6, 2023 – During World Cancer Day (February 4), the Elekta Foundation celebrated its first year by highlighting its achievements and coming initiatives to improve access to cancer care in low-income countries. Rwanda’s Minister of Health organized an event for health care officials, politicians, and non-profit organizations, including the Elekta Foundation’s Chairman of the Board, Cecilia Wikström, and its President, Lacy Hubbard, at the Kigali Convention Centre in the capital.
Under the theme ‘Together, we can eliminate cervical cancer’, participants shared new evidence and best practices.
In its first year, the Foundation focused on awareness and prevention, specifically related to cervical cancer. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the leading cause of cervical cancer and the Foundation provided testing for 20 thousand women in Rwanda, and several hundred others were treated for precancerous lesions. This model is scalable and the Foundation plans to replicate in other African countries.
“Eliminating cervical cancer requires strong alliances and innovative new collaborations, and effective health education at all levels,” said Cecilia Wikström. “We are very happy with the work we have done, developing a comprehensive model that includes all stages, from screening, early detection to all kinds of treatment. These accomplishments have been made possible by the generous support of Elekta’s investors, who share our commitment to improving healthcare for all.” She added: “We strive to make a long-lasting impact for people living with cancer in underserved and developing countries, not only in Africa, but wherever this gap exists in the world.”
In addition to Cecilia Wikström, the Board of Directors for the Elekta Foundation includes Elekta’s Founder and Chairman of the Board, Larry Leksell, and Tomas Puusepp, former CEO of Elekta.
Lacy Hubbard said that one of the Foundation’s focus areas is expanding training and education. “We are excited about and proud of our achievements in such a short time, and now look forward to another year of success. The Foundation will continue to support programs in sub-Saharan Africa, specifically in Uganda, Kenya and Senegal, using the knowledge gained from this initial phase to expand our initiatives to surrounding countries and regions.”
On Sunday, February 5, several Elekta Foundation partners also participated in an activity organized by the Ministry of Health, ‘Walk to Eliminate Cervical Cancer’, with the purpose of raising awareness of the disease.
Learn more about the work Elekta Foundation is doing: https://www.elektafoundation.com/
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For further information, please contact:
Mattias Thorsson, Vice President, Head of Corporate Communications
Tel: +46 70 865 8012, e-mail: Mattias.Thorsson@elekta.com
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Raven Canzeri, Global Director, Media Relations
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About Elekta Foundation
The Elekta Foundation purpose is to improve cancer care access in low-income countries. We initiate and support projects in partnership with academic institutions, governments, and NGOs to close the cancer care inequity gap. To fulfill this ambition, the foundation focuses on three expertise areas: Education, Prevention and Cancer Care Infrastructure. Read more at www.elektafoundation.com, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter @Elektafondation
About Elekta
As a leader in precision radiation therapy, Elekta is committed to ensuring every patient has access to the best cancer care possible. We openly collaborate with customers to advance sustainable, outcome-driven and cost-efficient solutions to meet evolving patient needs, improve lives and bring hope to everyone dealing with cancer. To us, it's personal, and our global team of 4,700 employees combine passion, science, and imagination to profoundly change cancer care. We don’t just build technology, we build hope. Elekta is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with offices in more than 40 countries and listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. For more information, visit elekta.com or follow @Elekta on Twitter.
