By Fazeena Saleem
DOHA: Qatar National Cancer Research Strategy was launched yesterday emphasising the importance of developing a programme providing direct benefits for patients, at the Joint Qatar Foundation Annual Research Forum and Arab Expatriate Scientists Network Symposium 2012.
The key aim of the NCRS is to improve patient survival rates and quality of life. Lord Ara Darzi, Chair of the Qatar National Cancer Research Committee, launched the National Cancer Research Strategy (NCRS) and presented the audience with the basic areas for its development.
“The strategy helps how Qatar can translate high quality research into clinical studies and practice, leading to improved cancer prevention and personalised cancer treatment,” said Lord Ara Darzi.
He emphasised the importance of partners working together to ensure that Qatar becomes a world-leader in cancer research. It aims at Qatar becoming a leading cancer research centre internationally and regionally and builds a foundation for academic and commercial development for the next generation of cancer specific technologies.
“The objective of the NCRS is to translate high quality research into clinical studies that will improve both prevention and personalised cancer medicines, and to strengthen Qatar’s role as a leading cancer research centre regionally and internationally,” said Lord Ara Darzi.
“We also look forward to host International cancer research conference,” he further said. The strategy recognises several areas where research can improve, introduction to behavioural change to reduce risk, prevention through intervention and screening, find mechanisms to develop improved diagnosis, early diagnosis, develop new therapies and clinical trials, improvement to the health and quality of life for people who survive cancer.
It also recommends for train people to become high quality researchers, with increased investment and focused basic and translational cancer research.
Qatar has spent $19.5m on peer reviewed research that has cancer component through the QNRF. This equates to over 20 percent of the total spending on biomedical and health sciences across Qatar National Research Fund.
The Peninsula
