Combatting Ethnic Disparities in Healthcare:
A Case Study of Prostate and Breast Cancer
9 April 2025
16:00 - 17:30 CEST
Online on Zoom
An online webinar as part of Global Public Health Week 7-11 April 2025.
Background
Though there have been significant improvements in human health over the past decades, the same cannot be said for health equity. Whether looking at differences between countries, or between communities and individuals, disparities persist and prevent the realisation of the right to health for all. These inequities are caused by a wide range of factors, with non-medical factors – like our level of education, type of employment, or place we live – particularly influential; they are the social determinants of health. These determinants illustrate how systemic societal injustices profoundly impact our ability to be healthy. A 2022 Lancet series added a crucial consideration to this understanding by recognising racism, xenophobia, and discrimination as fundamental determinants of health.
The effects of these structural injustices become clear when zooming in on health outcomes at the community and individual level. Substantial scientific literature highlights how both social and fundamental determinants influence every stage of healthcare – such as access, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment – all of which drive disparities in disease burden. As one of the greatest public health concerns, cancer provides a critical lens to examine these inequities, particularly in relation to gender and ethnicity.
This webinar, co-organised by the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) and the European Cancer Organisation (ECO), explores ethnic health disparities through a lens of cancer inequities. Building on research from across the globe and drawing on experiences from European Union (EU) policy, it raises awareness of the nature of cancer inequities and explores ways to reduce them. In doing so, it addresses both the cancer burden and health disparities within a global context.
Event Objectives:
- To raise awareness of the existing ethnic disparities in cancer care.
- To connect initiatives from across the world related to health equity, ethnicity and gender.
- To identify best practices and ways forward in combating racism and discrimination in health.
Note: EPHA runs the DisQo Stakeholder Network: anti-discrimination and health equity, to bring the voice of health to the EU’s inclusion policy, notably the EU’s Anti-racism Action Plan.
ECO is working to establish an ethnicity workstream under its Inequalities Network to bring together stakeholders interested in tackling these issues and foster stronger action.
Programme
16:00-16:10 | Welcome and introduction
The host and the moderator open the event, welcoming everyone, providing a brief description of the event’s structure and goals.
Robert Greene
HungerNdThirst Foundation
President
Norbert Couespel
European Cancer Organisation
Policy Research & EU Projects Manager
16:10-16:20 | Presentation: Ethnic disparities in prostate cancer
The first expert presentation of the webinar covers the topic of ethnic disparities that exist when it comes to men. Taking the example of prostate cancer, Eva McGrowder and Rose Hall explore ethnic disparities, focusing on risk factors, targeted screening for high-risk groups, barriers to genetic research, and the role of community-led education in improving awareness and access to early detection.
Eva McGrowder
The Institute of Cancer Research
Senior Trial Manager
Rose Hall
The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
Clinical Research Fellow
16:20-16:30 | Presentation: Ethnicity and breast cancer incidence
With the second expert presentation we expand our knowledge with a focus on ethnic disparities among women. Toral Gathani covers differences in the incidence rate of breast cancer observed in women of different ethnicities. She explains how further research is needed in large scale prospective studies to investigate these differences.
Toral Gathani
Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford
Associate Professor and Consultant Breast Surgeon
16:30-17:20 | Panel: Combating ethnic disparities in healthcare: translating knowledge to action
With an understanding of ethnic disparities based on the expert presentations, we move on to translating them into action. Ethnic disparities in healthcare are multi-faceted, and what works in one country may not work in another. In this panel, we cover the topic through the perspective of different sectors and countries. By exploring good and bad practices and angles of action, we try to work towards solutions that address ethnic disparities in healthcare in as wide a context as possible.
Robert Greene
HungerNdThirst Foundation
President
Raman Bedi
World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA)
President Elect
Michaela Moua
European Commission
European Commission Anti-racism Coordinator
Leigh Kamore Haynes
Simmons University
Associate Professor of Practice, Director of the Master of Pubic Health Program
Erik Briers
Europa Uomo
Vice Chairman
Cristina Guerrero Paez
Borstkankervereniging Nederland
Director, board member of Europa Donna
17:20-17:30 | Concluding remark
With an understanding of ethnic disparities based on the expert presentations, we move on to translating them into action. Ethnic disparities in healthcare are multi-faceted, and what works in one country may not work in another. In this panel, we cover the topic through the perspective of different sectors and countries. By exploring good and bad practices and angles of action, we try to work towards solutions that address ethnic disparities in healthcare in as wide a context as possible.
Milka Sokolović
European Public Health Alliance (EPHA)
Director General
