Effective Cancer Control by National Cancer Network’s New Policies

The 6th meeting of National Cancer Network was held with the presence of the representatives from Ministry of Health and Medical Education including Seyed Mohammad Hadi Ayazi, deputy minister of the headquarter for the social determinant of health;  Dr. Mohammad Nasiri, director of health-related donors and charities;Dr. Mohammad Esmail Motlagh, director-general of the population health, family and schools office; and Dr. Hassan Abolghassemi, Head of Iranian pediatric hematology oncology Society; Dr. Mustafa Jamali, director general of community based health organization; the representative from national tax admission organization, Amirhossein Seyed Salehi, and representatives from cancer-centric NGOs from different parts of the country on August 1, 2017, at Iran University of Medical Science.

This joint meeting chaired by MAHAK’s CEO, Arasb Ahmadian, focused on the nature of National Cancer Network and delivered a performance report of the board of directors. During this meeting two important issues were discussed; legal actions towards specialists who prescribe unofficial imported high-cost medicine and revision in tax laws for charities and community-based organizations.

Chairman of board of directors of this network, Arasb Ahmadian, addressed these meetings as a great opportunity for useful interaction with Ministry of Health and Medical Education, and National Cancer Network as the main partner of this ministry which has a supplementing role in compensating the shortcomings in healthcare area through beneficial criticism and said: “during the next meeting which will be held in the next 3 to 6 months, the board of directors will introduce the National Cancer Network’s strategic plan for the next 5 years.”

Dr. Kazem Zendehdel, director of national population based cancer registry program and deputy of research in Cancer Institute, Imam Khomeini Medical Center highlighting the number of patients suffering from cancer which will be surely doubled in the next 10 years, delivered his speech on the necessity of National Cancer Network’s presence in the largest cancer union in the world, the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), in order to improve the capacity building and networking with other organizations and communities.

Arasb Ahmadian, CEO of MAHAK, who is elected by the members as the chairman of the board of directors of this network, with an organizational behavior approach, strives to unify the level of concerns among the members by specific rules and principles in order to generate a positive interaction between this network and government delegates through steady and ongoing regular meetings for underlying and infrastructural changes which will ultimately lead to improving the level of service providing for cancer patients.

The National Cancer Network was formed about one year ago with 61 members of cancer-centric charities and community based organizations from all over the country with the aim of creating a healthy community by increasing the presence and contribution of individuals and community-based organizations, implementing the national project of cancer registry and providing the theme of change in governmental rules and regulations.

By ongoing presence and cooperation of all members of this network, we hope to achieve fundamental modifications in cancer treatment and provide cancer patients with the most efficient and up to dated medical and support services.