The Council's position on an action plan to combat cancer
The Council has adopted a common position supporting a five-year 'Europe against Cancer' plan of action to follow up the previous programme on this issue. A budget of ECU 59 million is proposed for activities designed to help ensure a high level of health protection and aimed at: - Preventing premature deaths and reducing mortality and morbidity due to cancer; - Promoting the quality of life by improving the general health situation and promoting the general well-being of the population, in particular by minimizing the economic and social consequences of cancer. A series of actions will be launched on data collection and research, information and health education, early detection and screening, training and quality control and guarantees. Actions will be directed in particular at: - Establishing common objectives; - Standardizing and collecting comparable and compatible data on health; - Exchanges of experience and health professionals, as well as dissemination of most effective practices; - Creating information networks; - Conducting European-scale studies, disseminating results and implementing pilot programmes/projects; -Compiling reports, especially to monitor any measures taken.