About the World Cancer Day Call to Action
This year we call on governments to promote health equity, enhance cancer service accessibility, reduce disparities in cancer incidence and mortality, and close the care gap.
Half the world’s population lacks access to the full range of essential health services.
When it comes to cancer, many of us are denied basic care, even though we live in a time of awe-inspiring advancements in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
This is the equity gap – and it’s costing lives. By implementing resource-appropriate strategies for prevention, early detection, treatment and care, we can save millions of lives every year.
The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the organiser of World Cancer Day, encourages everyone to ask their governments to improve health equity, make it easier for all populations to enjoy affordable and accessible cancer services, and reduce disparities in cancer incidence and mortality.
1. Increase funding for cancer research,
and encourage collaboration between researchers, healthcare providers and community organisations to understand and address disparities.
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2. Develop a population-based cancer registry,
to guide policy decisions and resource allocation, and evaluate control strategies.
3. Implement an effective national cancer strategy,
outlining the actions to take for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, palliation, survivorship care, data collection and monitoring of cancer, based on an evidence-based assessment of your country’s cancer burden, addressing financial hardship and barriers faced by underserved populations.
4. Incorporate comprehensive cancer services into national health benefit packages,
to achieve universal health coverage, encompassing prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment (medicines, radiotherapy, surgery), supportive and palliative care and survivorship services.
5. Enhance health literacy and education around cancer,
using culturally appropriate materials and training for healthcare providers on effective patient communication.
6. Regulate the production, sales and marketing of carcinogenic products,
(tobacco, alcohol, ultra-processed foods) through increased taxation, marketing limitations, improved product labelling and public education campaigns. 30-50% of cancers can be prevented by acting on modifiable risk behaviours.
7. Implement routine screening programmes for common cancers,
integrate them into existing healthcare programmes, and utilise telemedicine services and mobile units to reach remote populations. The earlier a cancer is detected, the more successfully it can be treated and with fewer costs to the health system and to patients.
8. Foster patient-centred care,
that acknowledges the unique needs of all patient populations, encouraging patient engagement in their care decisions.
9. Address the systemic social determinants of health,
which impede an individual’s ability to access cancer care, tackling prejudices and assumptions based on diverse social markers by working with communities for more effective and people-centred programmes.
Join our supporters!
Your commitment to advocating to cancer care equity adds weight to our collective voice. Join the call to action today!