Law is a powerful and cost-effective tool for effecting change in health – but for those working in health, the law can be difficult to navigate.
That’s why earlier this year, the McCabe Centre for Law & Cancer launched its first ever accredited Mastercourse course for people from civil society, ‘Engaging with law and policy for cancer prevention and control’.
The course, which ran from April to August, focused on demystifying the law for cancer and health policy professionals, to support the effective use of law to get the best cancer and noncommunicable disease (NCD) outcomes for all countries.
The course was also the McCabe Centre’s first training delivered with the Union for International Cancer Control on its online learning platform, and saw 77 participants from 33 countries learn about the role of law in cancer and NCD prevention and control, international instruments, and practical tips for working with governments, civil society and media and advocacy.
From guest speakers to case studies and live sessions, the course offered an interactive and engaging opportunity for people from backgrounds including health, government and academia.
“I learned a lot from the sharing of experiences from other countries. There were best practices that were shared that I found useful and applicable to my island context,” wrote one participant.
McCabe Centre for Law & Cancer Director Hayley Jones said highlighting the role of law in cancer control to those outside of the legal field was crucial.
“We know that law-making and policy development is vital in cancer prevention and control,” Hayley said.
“But unless people working in cancer prevention and control know how they can use the law in their work, we risk opportunities for progress being missed.
Sondra Davoren, McCabe Centre’s Strategic Advisor, said the course was an achievement for the McCabe Centre and hoped it would lead to future collaboration.
“Through this course, we are very proud to have given more than 70 people the skills, knowledge and confidence to help shape law and policy in their own countries, to have made connections with a diverse group and to share ideas on how use law to ultimately help people in their communities live happier and healthier lives,” Sondra said.
The course was led by experts from the McCabe Centre for Law & Cancer and enriched by case studies generously shared by leading organisations and advocates around the world, including Cancer Warriors Mexico, Movendi International, South East Asia Regional NCD Alliance, Norwegian Cancer Society, Health Justice Philippines, World Cancer Research Fund, the Centre for Health, Human Rights and Development (Uganda), UICC, CLAS - the Healthy Americas’ Coalition, Trivandrum Institute for Palliative Sciences (India), FIC Argentina and the Global Climate and Health Alliance.
The course was accredited by the Accreditation Council of Oncology in Europe (ACOE). Participants who completed the course earned nine European CME Credits.
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