Global Health Leaders Call for a World Health Assembly Cancer Resolution in 2017 to Help Reduce Millions of Early Deaths Worldwide from the Disease

PARIS, October 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Today, 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 per cent reduction in premature mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 2025.

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

The World Cancer Declaration Progress Report 2016, released by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), highlights that although significant progress has been made in key areas, such as cancer planning and smokefree policies; further efforts are still needed to:

• Extend tobacco control to full implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and reduce exposure to the other cancer risk factors, such as obesity
• Establish effective population-based cancer registries
• Better address the worldwide shortage in oncology health workers
• Guarantee equity of access to cancer diagnosis, treatment and care

"With just under 10 years left to meet the target of reducing premature deaths from non-communicable diseases by 25 per cent, 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 impact of cancer across the world is epidemic. Today, one in three people (36 million) are affected by cancer worldwide and more than eight million people die from the disease every year, out of which, four million die prematurely (aged 30 to 69 years). Estimates predict this to increase to an alarming six million premature cancer deaths per year by 2025, unless further action is taken to reduce disease rates.

The World Cancer Declaration Progress Report 2016 consolidates the inputs of over 150 cancer organisations from 113 countries across the world. To download the full report please visit: http://www.uicc.org/sites/main/files/atoms/files/UICC_WorldCancerDeclaration_Progress_Report_2016_Book.pdf

Notes to Editors  

About the World Cancer Leaders' Summit  

First organised in 2006, the World Cancer Leaders' Summit (WCLS) is the most important annual high-level policy meeting dedicated exclusively to influencing global strategy for cancer control. The event brings together key decision makers from around the world and encourages timely debate on emerging issues related to cancer. It provides a vital forum to secure a global, cross-sector, response and ensure accountability in addressing the spiralling cancer epidemic.

2016 WCLS - 'Tomorrow is now: Our journey to 2025'  

The 2016 WCLS is being held in partnership with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the World Health Organization (WHO), in conjunction with the 2016 World Cancer Congress. 250 leaders and policy-makers are attending to raise their influential voice on the progress made so far in their country and region as we celebrate ten years since the release of the first World Cancer Declaration and the mid-way point in meeting the global target to reduce premature deaths from cancer by 25 per cent by 2025.

Key objectives include:  

• Raising awareness among leading decision makers to ensure cancer is a global health priority
• Providing a forum to exchange information and innovative ideas on how to reverse the cancer epidemic and ensure a sustainable response
• Defining compelling messages to support the global call to action against cancer
• Creating a force which galvanises politicians and policy makers and increases cancer's visibility on the international public health agenda

For further information of the summit or press announcements please visit:

http://www.uicc.org/convening/world-cancer-leaders-summit/2016-world-cancer-leaders-summit

About the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)  

UICC is the largest international cancer-fighting organisation, with over 1,000 member organisations across 160 countries representing the world's major cancer societies, ministries of health, research institutes, treatment centres and patient groups. The organisation is dedicated to taking the lead in convening, capacity building and advocacy initiatives that unite the cancer community to reduce the global cancer burden, promote greater equity, and integrate cancer control into the world health and development agenda.

UICC is dedicated to continuing to work with world leaders to increase their support for cancer control measures, and encourage accountability for the cancer commitments made in the UN Political Declaration on NCDs and the Sustainable Development Goals. UICC uses key convening opportunities like the World Cancer Leaders' Summit, World Cancer Congress and World Cancer Day for continued focus on:

• Developing specific time-bound targets and indicators to measure the national implementation of policies and approaches to prevent and control cancer
• Raising the priority accorded to cancer in the global health and development agenda
• Promoting a global response to cancer.

UICC and its multisectoral partners are committed to encouraging governments to look towards the implementation and scale-up of quality and sustainable programmes that address the global burden of cancer and other NCDs. UICC is also a founding member of the NCD Alliance, a global civil society network that now represents almost 2,000 organisations in 170 countries.

For more information, please visit: http://www.uicc.org

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