On 11 March 2026, the National Cancer Mission Hub of Bulgaria (NCMHB) was established in Sofia. The Forum was organised by the Bulgarian Joint Cancer Network (BJCN) in partnership with the ECHoS initiative, a Pan-European platform uniting more than 60 leading organisations from over 30 countries in the fields of health, science, innovation and civic participation. The event took place at the GATE Institute of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", with the participation of a wide range of experts, Bulgarian Members of the European Parliament, representatives of European cancer organisations and European institutions.
At the end, a Memorandum of Synergy and Cooperation was signed by more than 90 organisations, symbolically marking the launch of the hub. MU–Varna was represented by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Natalia Usheva – Vice-Dean for Research at the Faculty of Public Health and Deputy Chairperson of the Management Committee of the MUVE-TEAM project.
The main objective of the National Cancer Mission Hub is to establish a sustainable cross-sectoral partnership with all stakeholders – government institutions, municipalities, academia and professionals, civil society organisations and business, in synergy with the European Cancer Mission and ECHoS (Establishing Cancer Mission Hubs: Networks and Synergies).
Through the NCMHB, this partnership will be structured as a national platform for implementing science-based policies in oncology with a focus on early prevention, education, research, digitalization and social justice. “Everyone here is working together to build the Bulgarian hub based on the principles of connectivity and synergy. We build bridges, creating a sustainable ecosystem by connecting experts from different fields," said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Asya Konsulova, Chair the Board of Directors of BJCN.
“According to medical data, 36% of cancer cases are preventable, but we need to build a modern prevention model based on scientific evidence. Despite all innovations and access to modern therapies in Bulgaria, we continue to project cancer mortality above 60%," said M.Pharm. Ivaylo Petrov, Coordinator of the NCMHB. He presented results from a national survey confirming strong public support and the urgent need to establish a national hub aimed at overcoming ineffective communication, strengthening cross-sector collaboration with state participation, and integrating into the European cancer control system.
Support for the Hub was expressed by the Minister of Health, Assoc. Prof. Mihail Okoliyski, and the Minister of Labour and Social Policy, Dr. Hasan Ademov. Dr. Maria Yurukova, advisor to the President on social policies, conveyed the support of the presidential institution. In a welcome address to the Forum, the Bulgarian European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, Ms Ekaterina Zaharieva, also supported the initiative. The Member of the European Parliament Mr. Radan Kanev expressed readiness to assist through his advisor Ms Zaritsa Dinkova, while MEP Andrey Kovatchev emphasized the need for a Bulgarian hub within the Cancer Mission in his congratulatory address.
The participation of MU–Varna in the “Cancer Mission" is aligned with two of its priority research areas — “Oncology and Rare Diseases" and “Public Health and Disease Management"—and is a part of the activities under the MUVE-TEAM project aimed at integrating the University into scientific networks. This network represents an innovative approach that effectively connects science and society, bringing together all stakeholders in the fight against cancer at both national and European levels.
