US-Irish cancer collaboration agreement is renewed

January / February 2012 | Volume 11, Issue 1

In December 2011 representatives from Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the United States gathered at the famous Stormont Estate, home of the Northern Ireland Assembly, in Belfast, Northern Ireland to renew the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the All-Ireland-National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Consortium (AICC). The renewal extends the partnership for another five years, bringing the Consortium into a second decade of collaboration aiming to lessen the burden of cancer in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland through cross-border and transatlantic collaboration in cancer research and education.

Dr. Ted Trimble and Ms. Isabel V. Otero, MPH, represented NCI's Center for Global Health at the event and were joined by Northern Ireland Health Minister Edwin Poots; Mary Jackson, Cancer Policy Unit, Department of Health, Ireland; and Dr Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland.

"The cooperation and sharing of expertise that takes place between Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and the NCI has brought numerous benefits for all participating jurisdictions. The revised MOU has been developed to ensure that future working will build on past successes, helping to reduce the impact that cancer has on our lives," said Minister Poots.

The MOU, signed by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius; Minister James Reilly, Department of Health, Ireland; and Minister Poots, identifies the following scientific focus areas for the Consortium over the next five years:

• Cancer policy analysis and health economics
• Diagnosis and treatment
• Education and training for physicians, nurses, and scientists
• Palliative care and survivorship
• Prevention and early detection
• Research

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