Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally. Advances in cancer science and medicine are making huge strides in our understanding of what causes cancer. Today’s knowledge and technology, if implemented, can prevent up to 50% of cancers.
On May 6th at 1:10 pm EDT, I will share the podium at the Vatican Pontifical Council for Culture and The Cura Foundation’s Fifth International Vatican Conference, with Her Royal Highness Princess Dina Mired. Our session will focus on how to achieve this goal by shifting from disease care to disease prevention, enabled by a focus on youth, assembly of last-mile disease data and fostering collaborations among diverse community-level stakeholders. Her Royal Highness is the Immediate Past President of the Union for International Cancer Control and a fierce advocate for cancer prevention and screening. Our discussion will be moderated by Amy Robach, Co-Anchor of “GMA3: What You Need to Know” and “20/20” and reporter for “Good Morning America” and ABC News Platforms.
Our session is one of dozens of remarkable forums where global leaders will debate and learn from each other and advance new ideas and initiatives for health. The Vatican Conference brings together diverse stakeholders who share the common vision that disease prevention is the most powerful means of reducing pain and suffering for humanity. Luminaries in wide-ranging fields – medicine, science, religion, industry, policy, media, technology, media, and entertainment –gather to challenge and learn from each other and leave ready to advance new collaborations. Past participants have included Pope Francis, then Vice President Joe Biden President Biden, Katie Perry, Jim Allison, and Katie Couric.
At these gatherings, nothing is off the table. For example, in prior years conferences we have debated delicate policy issues such as stem cell science and gene editing in the same Vatican halls that once debated Galileo’s paradigm-shifting views of our solar system.
It has been a privilege for me to work closely with Dr. Robin Smith, Founder, President, and Chairman of the Board of The Cura Foundation, in organizing several of these meetings. Robin describes the event as the Davos World Economic Forum for health care. This year’s meeting will host Pope Francis and important health care leaders and influencers including Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Francis Collins, Renée Fleming, Judy Faulkner, Cindy Crawford, Stéphane Bancel, Ray Dalio, Dean Kamen, Robin Roberts, among others.
“The Vatican Conference truly mobilizes multi-disciplinary global leaders from diverse arenas to have a dialogue in a dynamic way and work together on the world’s most pressing health challenges,” Robin explains.
While this year’s virtual event will lack what would be possible if we were able to meet in person as we had planned in Aula Nuova Del Sinodo in the Vatican City, the structure of dynamic, short-segment online programs will enable more to attend.
For more information or to request a free invitation and link to the event, visit https://vaticanconference2021.org/