Events

School Health and Nutrition Workshop, Ghana October 2024

In collaboration with the Africa Nutrition Society and IMTF, ICONIC has been planning towards a Regional Workshop on School Nutrition, scheduled to take place at the University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast in October 2024, immediately before the Africa Nutrition Conference (ANC) in Ghana. This pre-conference workshop will gather experts from Africa and beyond, including academics, researchers, development partners, NGOs, and policymakers, to address the importance of school health and nutrition and the special role that professional nutritionists might play. A formal report will be prepared following the Workshop to capture and consolidate experience to date, and to provide the basis for a plan of coordinated action.

Outcomes of importance will include:

To inform directly the development of a plan of action which defines the specific contribution that nutritionists can make to the school health and nutrition agenda.
An overview of the current status of school nutrition programs in Africa, highlighting successes, the importance of home-grown school feeding programs, and identifying shared challenges within different regions.
Experience of the specific role(s) played by nutritionists in supporting school health and nutrition programs and their strategic contribution to the identification and resolution of identified challenges.
Identification of the contribution(s) from nutritionists in the strengthening of initiatives in school nutrition, with particular emphasis on challenges faced by resource poor countries in moving towards a sustainable national service.

World Cancer Congress, September 2024

In collaboration with the Cancer Warriors Foundation, the World Health Organisation and the World Cancer Research Fund International, ICONIC hosted a digital session at the World Cancer Congress in Geneva, 17-19 September 2024 – Co-creating a new knowledge-sharing platform on nutrition and cancer for children, teenagers and young adults (CTYA).

The session aimed to introduce the new Community of Practice on Nutrition and Cancer in Children, Teenagers and Young Adults which is now open to all those interested in sharing knowledge and experience in relation to diet, nutrition, physical activity and cancer in CTYA.

African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC) Conference, Senegal November 2023

ICONIC was pleased to participate in a session on nutrition and cancer in collaboration with WHO AFRO, with speakers Professor Alan Jackson, Professor Francis Zotor, Dr Reginald Annan speaking about WCRF’s Third Expert Report and implications for Africa and Dr Elom Aglago on capacity building towards an EPIC for Africa. The session was chaired by Dr Laetitia Ouedraogo-Nikiema from WHO AFRO, who also spoke about challenges in implementing policies and actions to promote safe and healthy eating habits and access to nutritious foods in the WHO African region. ICONIC looks forward to further opportunities to collaborate with WHO AFRO.

IUNS 22nd International Congress of Nutrition, Tokyo December 2022
As a Task Force of IUNS, ICONIC had the privilege of hosting a symposium at the 22nd International Congress of Nutrition on Thursday 8th December 2022 – titled, Supporting collaboration in nutrition and cancer: A global approach ICN TOKYO (icn22.org). The aim of the symposium was to provide an overview of ICONIC’s work and engage with those interested in its activities. Topics covered were:

Capacity building for enhanced research on nutrition and cancer in low- and middle-income countries – Professor Ellen Kampman, Wageningen University
The role of nutrition and other lifestyle factors in paediatric oncology – Dr Inge Huybrechts, IARC
Prehabilitation within the management and support of those living with cancer – Dr Elom Aglago, ICL and Cancer and Nutrition for Africa (CANA)

The Congress was an opportunity to meet and re-connect with colleagues and researchers from across the world. The symposium was well-attended and speakers received many positive responses both during and after the session. Dr Elom Aglago, commented: “ICN in Tokyo was a unique opportunity to network with the global nutrition community, and to discuss contemporary challenges and solutions for better nutrition. Our well-attended ICONIC session on nutrition and cancer provided an avenue for low-and middle-income countries to consider nutrition in prevention, prehabilitation, and for support for children diagnosed with cancer. The session and the following interactions demonstrated the need for more collaboration and shared experiences and research on cancer. The conference venue was majestic, and the organisation was impeccable. A special thanks to the Tokyoites for the warm and enthusiastic welcome in their city.”

Virtual Dialogues in Collaboration with UICC

ICONIC has hosted a series of Virtual Dialogues in collaboration with UICC, with the following two successful Special Focus Dialogues in 2021 (session recordings can be viewed via the links below):

Nutrition and cancer in children, teens and young adults – current understanding and future opportunities (April 2021)

Prehabilitation – Multimodal interventions to improve resilience and response to treatment in cancer (December 2021)

These sessions are a chance to connect, exchange knowledge, access expert insights and share solutions on respective and common challenges.

A second session with a focus on nutrition and cancer in children, teenagers and young adults will take place on Monday 25th November 2024, 1-2.30pm GMT. Click here to register.