he 5th OncoEgypt Conference, which took place on 11–12 December 2025, stands out as more than a scientific gathering. It became a milestone in a growing regional movement around a simple, yet transformative idea: that healing encompasses the body, the mind, and the social and spiritual dimensions of a person.
The sessions of the conference moved beyond theory to chart a concrete path forward for integrating palliative care into oncology services in Egypt.
The palliative care session opened with a plenary linking global and regional policies to local realities. Dr Lamia Mahmoud, from the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, presented the recently endorsed framework for action on palliative care in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, while Dr Anna Peeler of King’s College London outlined key pathways for strengthening palliative care expertise within cancer institutions.
Clinicians from across the Region, including Dr Qutaibah Alotaibi (Kuwait), Dr Atika Almusalami (Oman), Dr Nahla Gafer (Sudan) and Dr Mohamed Hablas (Egypt), then shared moving examples of dignity restored, pain alleviated, outcomes improved and families supported, illustrating how palliative care fundamentally transforms the cancer journey.
