The European Cancer Patient Coalition strongly condemns the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian armed forces as it is a direct threat to democracy and puts at risk the lives of millions of Ukrainian citizens, including cancer patients and their families. We would also like to show our support to the Ukrainian ECPC Members and ECPC Member organisations in Romania and Poland, who currently try to offer their support with all the available resources they have.

The invasion clearly puts the operation of the Ukrainian health system and supply of medicines and other hospital and particularly cancer patients care in danger. The invasion will have serious consequences for the Ukrainian cancer patients in the near future as well as the longer term.

At ECPC, the largest cancer patient umbrella organisation in Europe, we would like to express our support to our Ukrainian members, refugees and people. It is the time to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine that have been affected by the invasion.

Hospitals and other health care services like diagnostic centers, maternity clinics, etc. should not be attacked and patients’ access to treatment and care with serious life-threatening pathologies should be respected.

Furthermore, we would like to kindly encourage the ECPC Members, cancer patient organisations, healthcare organizations in Europe and beyond to offer any kind of support to the most affected areas within and close to the Ukrainian borders to help the Ukrainian population, as well as the pharmaceutical industry to provide medical supplies and medicines.

You can read the full communication here.