Worldwide, more than 8.6 million women suffer, and many others die from largely preventable and treatable cancers. This situation is even more pronounced in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs), where 61% of cases and 70% of these deaths in 2018.

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been working over the recent decade to support common Member States in improving cancer control and expand access to effective, safe and sustainable cancer diagnostics and treatment services. This extensive collaboration has led to the realization that there was an urgent need to further expand the IsDB-IAEA partnership to forcefully tackle the issue of women’s cancers.

Objectives

In response to the severity of the breast cancer and cervical cancer in Member Countries and to contribute to the global efforts in fighting these killing disease while achieving the SDG 3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages), and other related SDGs, IsDB in partnership with the IAEA launches a Call for Innovation to identify, encourage and reward innovative proposals for strengthening national health systems in the area of breast and cervical cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment by expanding and scaling-up capacities for effective, safe and sustainable cancer services.

Elegibility

Scientists, Innovators, SMEs, Private Firms, Non-Governmental Organizations, Governments and Academic or Research and Development Institutions around the world, which have project proposals that innovatively contribute to the following thematic areas are eligible to apply:

Expansion of national breast- and cervical cancer awareness raising programs;
Development of early cancer detection, diagnostic, and national preventive programs including sustainable and effective HPV vaccination programs;
Capacity building of cancer care professionals as well as upgrading of cancer care facilities.

Criteria

The winning proposals have to match the following criteria:

Innovativeness: the proposal must involve creative technologies or solutions and demonstrate an innovative way in applying scientific principles to improve breast and cervical cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment in the Middle and Low Income Countries;
Impact and outreach: the proposal will have to demonstrate that the project will be able to deliver measurable results that enhance access to effective, quality, and affordable cancer services for women in need.
Sustainability: the proposal should demonstrate sustainable efforts towards fighting breast cancer and cervical cancer.

Application process

The applicant is expected to submit the application to any of the two categories:

1. Low cost early detection and diagnostic solutions.

2. Capacity building projects. (such as training, awareness campaigns, research centres, etc).

Eligible candidates must apply for the call for innovation by filling the online application form in English.
Applications from individual scientists, innovation hubs & incubators, universities, research & development centers supported by three well known scientific referees are preferable.
The application shall be accompanied by detailed information demonstrating the requested information and supported by illustrative media means (e.g. photos, videos, demos, etc.).

Selection process

The selection will go through rigorous proposal assessment process by two independent committees from inside and outside the Bank, which will choose the winning scientists as follows:

The Screening Committee composed of international consultants will review, in consultation with the STI Department, the applications, contact the applicants (if required for missing information) and prepare a shortlist of applications.
The Selection Committee composed of eminent scientists will evaluate the applications and select the winners, against the qualifying criteria mentioned above.
Successful applicants will be contacted and informed about the Bank’s decision once finalised.

Financial Award and Awarding Ceremony

Two winners from each category would be selected for the prize.
The prize shall include a cash award as well as a certificate of recognition.
The suggested cash award for each category shall be as given below (based on international benchmarking)

1st prize – USD $50,000.00 (2 prizes in total)

2nd prize – USD $50,000.00 (2 prizes in total)

The winners will be rewarded (time and event name to be decided).
The winning proposal might be selected for further support and networking opportunity from the bank if found suitable for scale up.

We believe in change

Except for some countries in Eastern and Central Africa, where cervical cancer dominates, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. According to estimates of the International Agency of Research on Cancer (IARC), over 2 million new breast cancer cases occurred in women and over 600,000 women died in 2018; that’s the equivalent of one woman dying every minute. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women in LMICs countries and the second leading cause of cancer deaths (following lung cancer) among women in developed countries. For cervical cancer (cancer caused by the human papilloma virus, HPV), about 570,000 women were diagnosed and more than 310,000 died in 2018; equivalent to one woman dying every hundred seconds.

With almost 90% of new cervical cancer cases and 92% of related deaths occurring in LMICs, the situation is reaching epidemic proportions. Most of these deaths could be avoided if prevention measures, proper cancer screening and treatment were in place. The need to address women’s cancers as a matter of priority and to scale-up effective diagnosis and treatment has become pressing. Significant investments involving a broad range of partners in comprehensive cancer control are required and crucial to improving the quality of life of women affected by cancer while at the same time strengthening national health systems.

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