Grete Waitz Legacy: The AKTIV Against Cancer Foundation, release, note by Larry Eder

What AKTIV is doing:

In the past few years it has become increasingly evident that non-communicable diseases in general and cancer in particular, is one of the great health challenges for the coming years. The WHO as well as UICC and other international health agencies have made this a main focus for the current decade, The death rate from cancer already exceeds that of Malaria, Tuberculosis and HIV-AIDS combined in the developing world.

In most western countries the survival rates from cancer exceed 60 %, while only 10 % will survive the disease in the Developing World. With such challenges it is mandatory to try and alleiviate the situation.

For the past 3-4 years Oslo University Hospital Radiumhospitalet, The Medical Faculty at the University of Oslo, and the Department of Oncology at the Black Lion Hospital and The Faculty of Medicine at The University of Addis Abeba have cooperated in establishing a Residency training Progam in Oncology in Addis Abeba. Curriculum and Training program has been approved by the Ministry of Health and the Faculty and the intention is to recruit candidates this fall.

With only 3 specialists in the country it will be difficult to carry out both routine work and the requirements of training. We have therefor sought to support the program in two ways. One is through having a Norwegian specialist in Ethiopia through most of the year to both formally and though clinical teaching support the training, the other is by sending out teams of specialist for shorter periods e.g. one week, in connection with formal course work once or twice a year. The staff at Oslo University hospital consists of more than 50 Specialists, and each will have a 4 months sabbatical every 5 years. If a few of them volunteer to use some of that time in Addis Abeba, the program will be ensured expertise at all times.

The cost will therefore primarily be to cover transportation and living expenses, while the participants will retain their salary from Oslo University Hospital, thus making it economically attractive, as well as professionally and ethically important to all parties.
The responses from both the Hospital and the Faculty have been very encouraging. Many collegues have also expressed a willingness and interest to participate.

Initially it is envisaged that this will be a 4-5 year program in its current form. By then hopefully enough Ethiopean specialists will be trained so they can take over more and more of the teaching locally. The hope is that other forms of collaboration will develope through research and mutual projects in different fields.

Ethiopean Health authorities in cooperation with WHO and IEAE plan to establish a department of Oncology and Radiotherapy at each of the other 5 University Hospitals in the country. This program will help provide expertise to run these units and greatly expand cancer care for a population of some 85 million people, of whom 125,000 will get cancer every year.

Johan Tausjø, Program Coordinator.

adidas honors Grete Waitz
to raise awareness for her AKTIV Against Cancer Foundation

The AKTIV Against Cancer Foundation, founded in 2007 by Grete Waitz and Helle Aanesen, aims to promote physical activity and sports as a way to prevent and aid in the recovery of cancer and other diseases. In order to raise funds and awareness, adidas joined forces with Grete in 2009 and together they launched a long-term partnership that included a special ‘Grete Aktiv Range’ of running apparel. In 2011 alone, adidas raised more than $500,000 for the AKTIV charity.

The Range carries the logo that is on your uniform now. With this adidas and its Super athletes will honor the nine-time New York Marathon Champion Grete Waitz and her achievements and unique contributions to the sport by wearing the Uniform with the Aktive Logo to raise awareness for her AKTIV Against Cancer Foundation.

Thank you for helping to support and highlight the AKTIV foundation.

For background, release from November 2011:

adidas honors Grete Waitz at New York Marathon
to raise awareness for her AKTIV Against Cancer Foundation

New York – November, 2011 – This weekend, adidas and its athletes will honor the nine-time New York Marathon Champion Grete Waitz and her achievements and unique contributions to the sport by wearing the new Grete range of clothing to raise awareness for her AKTIV Against Cancer Foundation.

The AKTIV Against Cancer Foundation, founded in 2007 by Grete Waitz and Helle Aanesen, aims to promote physical activity and sports as a way to prevent and aid in the recovery of cancer and other diseases. In order to raise funds and awareness, adidas joined forces with Grete in 2009 and together they launched a long-term partnership that included a special ‘Grete Aktiv Range’ of running apparel.

adidas has since then expanded the support for AKTIV Against Cancer with a collection of apparel and footwear, which brings the classic looks from 1983 (the year Grete became the first IAAF World Champion in Helsinki) together with adidas technologies of today.

At the 2011 New York Marathon, fans and followers of Grete’s life and running career can purchase the newest range at the marathon expo and in adidas retail outlets in New York with a percentage of every piece sold going to her charity. adidas athletes who are expected to wear the Grete Waitz range in Sunday’s race include Jaouad Gharib, Emmanuel Mutai, Mary Keitany, Inga Abitova, Ana Dulce Felix and Jen Rhines.

The late running legend, who passed away in April, will also be honoured on adidas Facebook (facebook.com/adidasrunning) leading into Sunday’s race inspiring young runners with her remarkable story and her life as an athlete.

The New York Marathon, one of the most famous city marathons in the world, will see a powerful adidas squad led by the world’s fastest ever marathon runner Geoffrey Mutai bidding to seal the company’s domination of the 2011 marathon scene. He will be joined on the starting line by the defending champion Gebre Gebremariam and two-time world champion Jaouad Gharib among others.