The Gulf Center for Disease Prevention and Control (Gulf CDC) held the 12th periodic meeting of the Gulf Cancer Registry Working Group on Tuesday, 16 June 2026, via videoconference. The meeting brought together representatives from the Member States of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), along with experts from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
The meeting was held as part of Gulf CDC’s efforts to strengthen joint Gulf action in monitoring and analysing cancer data and developing national cancer registry systems. These efforts aim to support health planning and enhance the effectiveness of evidence- and data-based prevention programmes and policies.
The meeting addressed several priority areas, including capacity building in cancer registration, strengthening research collaboration among the Member States, and following up on technical visits to national cancer registries. Participants also discussed developing mechanisms to facilitate access to Gulf Cancer Registry data to support health research and analysis, while ensuring compliance with recognised standards and best practices in this field.
Participants also reviewed the preparatory steps for the forthcoming Gulf Cancer Registry report and the technical coordination and data integration required among the Member States. These efforts will help enhance the quality of the report’s outputs and support the publication of reliable Gulf-wide reports that contribute to a better understanding of the cancer burden and trends across the GCC countries.
The meeting emphasised the importance of continued coordination between Gulf CDC, the Member States, and international partners to enhance the quality of cancer data, develop technical capacities, and support joint Gulf efforts in cancer prevention and control.