WHO calls for cancer care on Cancer Day

World Health Organisation calls for health systems to provide cancer screening, detection and diagnosis at all levels of care on World Cancer Day today.

“Cancer is far from an equal-opportunity killer,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, in a statement marking the day.

She said 18.1 million new cases developed worldwide in 2018, while around 9.6 million people died from the disease. And, 70 per cent of those deaths occurred in low and middle-income countries, including those of the WHO South-East Asia Region.

Inadequate access to cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment is the primary cause of such high level of deaths, she said.

In 2017, just 30 per cent of low-income countries reported having appropriate cancer treatment services available. That compares to more than 90 per cent of high-income countries.

Just 26 per cent of low-income countries reported having pathology services available in the public sector, leading to late diagnosis and a lower chance of successful treatment.

“Of pressing need is integrating national cancer control programmes into health systems at every level. While tertiary services are important, they are expensive and generally most effective when a cancer is detected early,” said Dr Singh.

“To make that happen, effective cancer screening services must be available at both secondary and primary facilities, while health workers must be trained to identify the signs and symptoms that could lead to a positive diagnosis,” she added.

“By avoiding behaviors that are linked to cancer we can reduce our own risk while encouraging our peers to do the same. Notably, we can also promote high-level engagement and funding of national programmes,” she said.

 “It is also commensurate with the conviction that people in low- and middle-income countries should be at no greater risk of cancer and associated mortality than those anywhere else in the world,” Poonam Khetrapal said.