On Tuesday, 30 May, health leaders from across the world reaffirmed cancer control as a critical health and development priority as they adopted a new cancer resolution at the 70th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva.
During the WHA, 44 member states from across all regions and 11 NGOs voiced their support for the resolution with at least 18 countries co-sponsoring. This resolution provides countries with guidance on health promotion and risk factor reduction, but also the need to address inequity in access to early detection and appropriate treatment, including pain relief and palliative care.
New is the emphasis on integration of cancer efforts across national health plans and the call for scale up of activities in line with the sustainable development goals. Four key drivers impacting cancer mortality by 2025 that are supported by the updated WHO cost-effectiveness recommendations for NCDs also approved at this World Health Assembly are:
• Early diagnosis programmes for cervical, breast, colorectal and oral cancers
• Development of partnerships, referral networks and of centres of excellence for improving the quality of cancer diagnosis, treatment and care services and facilitating multidisciplinary cooperation
• Training of health professionals at all levels of health care, and
• Strengthening of palliative care and promotion of cancer survivors’ follow up and rehabilitation.
According to the resolution countries should develop and implement national cancer control plans with adequate resources and accountability to provide high-quality, resource-appropriate cancer prevention and control services for all and the targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The final resolution text is available on the ICCP portal.