Over the past few decades, there has been growing support for the idea that cancer needs an interdisciplinary approach. Therefore, the international cancer community has developed several strategies as outlined in the WHO non-communicable diseases Action Plan (which includes cancer control) as the World Health Assembly and the UICC World Cancer Declaration, which both include primary prevention, early diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care. This paper highlights experiences/ideas in cancer control for international collaborations between low, middle, and high income countries, including collaborations between the European Union (EU) and African Union (AU) Member States, the Latin-American and Caribbean countries, and the Eastern Mediterranean countries. These proposals are presented within the context of the global vision on cancer control set forth by WHO in partnership with the International Union Against Cancer (UICC), in addition to issues that should be considered for collaborations at the global level: cancer survival (similar to the project CONCORD), cancer control for youth and adaptation of Clinical Practice Guidelines. Since cancer control is given lower priority on the health agenda of low and middle income countries and is less represented in global health efforts in those countries, EU and AU cancer stakeholders are working to put cancer control on the agenda of the EU-AU treaty for collaborations, and are proposing to consider palliative care, population-based cancer registration, and training and education focusing on primary prevention as core tools. A Community of Practice, such as the Third International Cancer Control Congress (ICCC-3), is an ideal place to share new proposals, learn from other experiences, and formulate new ideas. The aim of the ICCC-3 is to foster new international collaborations to promote cancer control actions in low and middle income countries. The development of supranational collaborations has been hindered by the fact that cancer control is not part of the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MGGs). As a consequence, less resources of development aids are allocated to control NCDs including cancer.
Libya is a large country, ranking at fourth in terms of area both in the Arab world and the African continent (https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/which-are-the-10-largest-countries-of-africa-by-size.html). It is part of the World Health Organization–Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (WHO–EMRO) region. Oil production is the main source of income which has transformed the country massively over the past 50 years and the healthcare system is one of the sectors that have improved significantly. The Health Act No (106), issued in 1973, guarantees free health services to all Libyans, with inevitable challenges regarding the delivery of adequate and sustainable services. The health system in Libya is a mix between the public sector and the private sector. The private sector is basically depending on funding through insurance companies and self-pay. It is not yet adequately developed but is striving and rapidly growing in the last two decades.The oncology services are accessible and available for all Libyans, most of the diagnostic and therapeutic facilities are of good standards and the modern treatments like immunotherapy and targeted therapies are also available. However, there were periods when the health care system—in general—was struggling to meet the increasing demand on health services and has seen considerable challenges, especially over the past few years due to the conflict, political, and economic instability of the country. This chapter covers the oncology care in Libya, describing the current state, challenges, and future directions.
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