Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist of the World Health Organization (WHO), and Dr Elisabete Weiderpass, Director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), addressed representatives of the IARC Participating States during the Sixty-Second Session of the IARC Governing Council, which was held via web conference on 11–12 May 2020.
Dr Swaminathan shared insights on the importance of the collaborations between IARC and WHO, including in areas such as the initiatives to eliminate cervical cancer and to improve outcomes for children who develop cancer, describing the contributions made by IARC as “crucial and integral to WHO’s cancer-related activities”.
In her address, Dr Weiderpass reflected on her role as IARC Director, described IARC’s operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, and presented some of IARC’s work at the intersection of cancer and COVID-19.
