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Last Update: September 18, 2006
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MIDDLE EAST CANCER CONSORTIUM:
About MECC
History
On 20 May 1996, a new intergovernmental organisation, the Middle East Cancer Consortium (MECC), was established by agreement in Geneva, Switzerland.
The agreement was signed by the Ministers of Health of:
- Cyprus
- Egypt
- Israel
- Jordan
- Palestinian Authority (Gaza and the West Bank)
The U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Director of the U.S. National Cancer Institute witnessed the agreement.
The Republic of Turkey officially joined the Consortium in June 2004.
The goal of the MECC is to raise cancer awareness in the Middle East and, ultimately, to reduce the burden of cancer in the region. Its activities include:
- Establishment of population-based cancer registries in all six jurisdictions
- Development of a small collaborative research grants programme
Cancer Registry Project
The MECC Cancer Registry Project (CRP) opened on 1 January 1998. CRP's primary objective is to standardise data items, definitions, and codes to ensure that reliable comparisons can be made among jurisdictions. The quality of the data—its coverage and accuracy—is of primary importance to the MECC.Small Grants Programme
MECC supports small cooperative research endeavors. The organisation solicits research proposals by clinicians and scientists from within MECC member jurisdictions and evaluates the scientific merit of proposals via peer review.