This week, 250 global cancer and health leaders gathered at the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit (WCLS) to call for a comprehensive and robust World Health Assembly (WHA) cancer resolution in 2017.

 

This is a response to countries urgently seeking guidance on the set-up of quality national cancer control programmes to help meet the World Health Organization’s target of a 25% reduction in premature mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 2025. 

 

“With just under 10 years left to meet the target of reducing premature deaths from non-communicable diseases by 25%, governments and policy-makers must act now to ensure equitable access to services to allow people to live with and survive cancer. With today’s publication of the World Cancer Declaration Progress Report 2016, UICC is calling upon leaders worldwide to learn from the cancer control successes seen to date, but also ensure sufficient resources and focus to strengthen health systems for the significant challenges that the ongoing rise in cancer cases poses.” said Professor Tezer Kutluk, UICC President. 

 

The need for, and purpose of, this new resolution has been driven by a landmark, first-of-its-kind report, launched during WCLS, which identifies the major cancer control challenges that must be immediately addressed.