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WHO report on cancer- setting priorities, investing wisely & providing care for all

  • 03/02/2020
  • WHO

Global cancer burden is still increasing and if current trends continue, the world will see a 60% increase in cancer cases over the next two decades warns WHO. But cancer control  is effective says this report. It aims to set the global agenda on cancer, mobilize stakeholders and help countries set priorities for investing in cancer control and universal health coverage.

Cancer is a serious health problem in all populations, regardless of wealth or social status. The global response to cancer has been uneven and inequitable. Most low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) started later to address the cancer burden, having made hard choices to concentrate limited resources on an enormous burden of infectious diseases. In 2020, when one in five people globally will face a cancer diagnosis during their lifetime and as gains against infections and other conditions have led to increased life expectancy, it is beyond time to accelerate global cancer control, through prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management, palliative care and surveillance. Every year, effective cancer control is delayed, the response becomes more expensive, the preventable loss of life increases, and economic and human development remain stifled.

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