The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the WHO, released this alarming forecast in a report ahead of World Cancer Day on Sunday, February 4.

The report highlights a critical issue: most nations are inadequately funding essential cancer and palliative care services as part of universal health coverage (UHC).

According to the study, only 39% of the countries surveyed by WHO provide coverage for basics in cancer management in their health benefits packages. Additionally, just 28% of countries cover palliative medicine services.

Examining cancer disparities by Human Development Index (HDI), the report predicts the highest absolute increase in incidence in high-HDI countries, with an extra 4.8 million new cases estimated in 2050 compared to 2022 estimates. Low- and medium-HDI countries face a proportional increase in incidence of 142% and 99%, respectively.

The report reveals striking inequities in cancer burden based on HDI. Women in very high HDI countries face a 1 in 12 lifetime risk of breast cancer diagnosis, whereas women in low HDI countries have a 1 in 27 risk. Despite the lower diagnosis rate, the risk of dying from breast cancer is higher in low HDI countries due to late diagnosis and inadequate access to quality treatment.

Dr. Isabelle Soerjomataram, Deputy Head of the Cancer Surveillance Branch at IARC, emphasized the urgent need for global investments to address these inequities.

Dr. Bente Mikkelsen, Director of the Department of Noncommunicable Diseases at WHO, highlighted the lack of financial protection for cancer care worldwide and called for major investments to tackle global disparities in cancer outcomes.

The survey attributes the growing global cancer burden to population aging, growth, and changes in exposure to risk factors associated with socioeconomic development.

Key factors contributing to the increasing incidence of cancer include tobacco, alcohol, and obesity, with air pollution remaining a significant environmental risk factor.

Dr. Freddie Bray, Head of the Cancer Surveillance Branch at IARC, emphasized that the impact of the surge in cancer cases will disproportionately affect countries with fewer resources to manage their cancer burdens.

Dr. Cary Adams, Head of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), emphasized the need for political will to ensure everyone has access to affordable, quality cancer services, regardless of their geographical location.

According to the WHO, 400,000 children worldwide are anticipated to be diagnosed with cancer each year, with the majority residing in low- and middle-income nations.

The goal of International Childhood Cancer Day, which is observed every year on February 15, is to increase public awareness of the disease and encourage people to support children and teenagers who are fighting it.

The 2023 theme is ‘Better Survival.’ The theme is targeted towards meeting the WHO Global Childhood Cancer Initiative’s goal of at least 60 per cent of children diagnosed with cancer worldwide surviving by 2030.

Cancer occurs in people of all ages and can affect any part of the body. It begins with a genetic change in single cells, that then grow into a mass or tumour, that invades other parts of the body and causes harm and death if left untreated.

The vast majority of childhood cancers do not have a known cause. Even though many studies have sought to identify the causes of childhood cancer, very few cancers in children are caused by environmental or lifestyle factors.

While most children with cancer can be cured, it is a leading cause of death for children due to late presentation, and lack of access to care.

“In Africa, there were 28,000 deaths and 52,000 new cases of childhood cancer in 2020.

“Only 20 per cent of children with cancer in Africa survive for five years after diagnosis, compared to 80 per cent in high-income countries.

“As it is not generally possible to prevent childhood cancer, countries should invest early in detection, effective therapy, and supportive care,” the UN body said on its Twitter handle @WHOAFRO.

To increase survival rates for childhood cancer, the WHO calls for early diagnosis, access and complete treatment, and management of toxicity and relapse.

The agency said “Each year, an estimated 400,000 children and adolescents of 0-19 years old develop cancer. The most common types of childhood cancers include leukemias, brain cancers, lymphomas, and solid tumours, such as neuroblastoma and Wilms tumours.

“In high-income countries, where comprehensive services are generally accessible, more than 80 per cent of children with cancer are cured. In low- and middle-income countries, less than 30 per cent are cured.

“Only 29 per cent of low-income countries report that cancer medicines are generally available to their populations compared to 96 per cent of high-income countries.

“Childhood cancer data systems are needed to drive continuous improvements in the quality of care, and to inform policy decisions.”

It added that most childhood cancers can be cured with generic medicines and other forms of treatment, including surgery and radiotherapy.

In a statement commemorating this year’s World Cancer Day with the theme “Close the Care Gap: Uniting Our Voices and Taking Action,” Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, disclosed the information.

She said Africa accounts for nearly 50%t of the global childhood cancer burden by 2050 with the current projections, explaining that “Childhood cancer incidents in sub-Saharan Africa was estimated at 56.3 per million population with significant data challenges.”

Moeti maintained that data estimates show a considerable increase in cancer mortality to nearly one million deaths per year by 2030, without urgent and bold interventions.

Her words, “We should recall that the most common cancers in adults include breast (16.5%), cervical (13.1%), prostate (9.4%), Colorectal (6%), and liver (4.6%) cancers, contributing to nearly half of the new cancer cases.”

Moeti noted that 12 countries in Africa had valid National Cancer Control Plans but that 11 additional countries were being supported by WHO in developing or updating their National Cancer Control Plans.

She explained that the support is aimed at aligning the plans to the global cancer initiatives coupled with the presence of governance structures at the government level to implement cancer plans.

She expressed delight that 51% of countries in Africa have steadily increased Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination national introduction.

WHO Regional Director for Africa noted that stumbling blocks remained the continent’s low availability of population-based cancer registries, limited health promotion, and inadequate access to primary prevention and early detection services.

She said the scarcity of diagnostic facilities increases delays in diagnosis and treatments despite the achievements made, emphasising the need to develop and update the national cancer control plans of each nation, provide sustainable financing and invest in cancer registration by the government.

This is according to a statement by the General Manager of Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) Afolabi Solebo in Lagos on Tuesday.

According to the statement, the government plans to engage sellers and buyers of plastic bottled drinks through advocacy and sensitisation programmes on the dangers of such practices.

Solebo noted that the Lagos State Government has no intention of banning the sale of plastic bottled drinks as stated in a social media report.

“The Government is keen on ensuring that both consumers and traders are educated and enlightened on the health hazard of consuming plastic bottled drinks that have been exposed to sunlight,” he said.

While informing that the essence of the display of plastic bottles by sellers is to create awareness of the availability of their product or merchandise, he urged manufacturers and producers alike to make available alternative dummy bottles to retailers of plastic bottle drinks for use as product display instead of the actual plastic bottled drinks being exposed to sunlight.

According to the global health body, nearly every family globally is affected by cancer, either directly or as caregivers or family-members.

“A cancer diagnosis triggers a broad and profound effect on the health and well-being of all those involved,” it said.

Meanwhile, the WHO launched the first global survey recently to better understand and address the needs of all those affected by cancer.

The Framework is a commitment to respectfully and meaningfully engage PLWNCDs in co-designing policies, programmes, and solutions. The survey results will feed into the design of policies and programmes to offer better well-being in the context of a cancer diagnosis and co-create solutions for the future.

“For too long, the focus in cancer control has been on clinical care and not on the broader needs of people affected by cancer,” said Director-General of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus. “Global cancer policies must be shaped by more than data and scientific research, to include the voices and insight of people impacted by the disease.”

According to the WHO, recent studies have shown that nearly half of people diagnosed with cancer experience anxiety and loss of faith and may be abandoned by their intimate partners. In low- and middle-income countries, financial hardship and loss of assets can be experienced by 70 per cent or more of those affected.

“When my daughter was diagnosed with cancer, our lives changed drastically and in ways that we did not expect. The effects of cancer last a lifetime,” said Ruth Hoffman, President of the American Childhood Cancer Organisation.

Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director General of NAFDAC gave the advise in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja, noting that “Packaging of pap in nylon is not encouraging; green leaves are all over the place, leaf is the best thing to use for packaging item and it must be clean”.

“Nylon is not good for packaging hot food because the heat will make the nylon leak chemicals, it must be discouraged.”

The DG explained that plastic materials usually have Bisphenol A (BPA) which can cause cancer.

“We are doing a study in our labs on different packaging of food, especially on nylon. The outcome will be out shortly,’’ Adeyeye assured.

She further cautioned against the use of aspirin to purify water, saying this amounts to adding salicylic acid into the water one intends to drink.

She added that, “Drinking water that contains salicylic acid can cause erosion of the intestine, cancer, ulcer and many more damages to human health.

“The treatment of water with chlorine and alum must be minimal and must not exceed the required amount”.

WHO made the call in a statement posted on its website on Tuesday to mark the World Cancer Day on February 4.

WHO warned that the world would see a 60 per cent increase in cancer cases over the next two decades if current trends continue.

It said that the greatest increase which was an estimated 81 per cent in new cases would occur in low-and middle-income countries, where survival rates were currently lowest.

“This is largely because these countries have had to focus limited health resources on combating infectious diseases and improving maternal and child health, while health services are not equipped to prevent, diagnose and treat cancers.

“In 2019, more than 90 per cent of high-income countries reported that comprehensive treatment services for cancer were available in the public health system compared to less than 15 per cent of low-income countries,” it said.

Dr Ren Minghui, Assistant Director-General, Universal Health Coverage/Communicable and Non-communicable Diseases, WHO, said the disparity was a wake-up call to tackle the unacceptable inequalities between cancer services in rich and poor countries.

“If people have access to primary care and referral systems, then cancer can be detected early, treated effectively and cured. Cancer should not be a death sentence for anyone, anywhere,” Minghui said in the statement.

According to WHO, progress in poorer countries is achievable.

“WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer are releasing two coordinated reports on World Cancer Day which is on February 4,’’ it said.

It noted that the report was in response to governments’ calls for more research into the scope and potential policies and programmes to improve cancer control.

Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO, said: “At least seven million lives could be saved over the next decade by identifying the most appropriate science for each country’s situation.

“By basing strong cancer responses on universal health coverage and by mobilising different stakeholders to work together.”

Dr Elisabete Weiderpass, Director of IARC, said the past 50 years had seen tremendous advances in research on cancer prevention and treatment.

“Deaths from cancer have been reduced.

“High-income countries have adopted prevention, early diagnosis and screening programmes, which together with better treatment, have contributed to an estimated 20 per cent reduction in the probability of premature mortality between 2000 and 2015.

“Low-income countries only saw a reduction of five per cent.

“We need to see everyone benefitting equally,” Weiderpass said in the statement.

Weiderpass noted that the challenge would be for countries to select treatments, balancing considerations including cost, feasibility and effectiveness.

“Each government is tasked with choosing the appropriate innovative cancer therapies while recognising that established treatments, many of which are very effective and affordable, can provide benefits for cancer without causing financial hardship,” she said.

WHO highlighted a wide range of proven interventions to prevent new cancer cases which includes controlling tobacco use that is responsible for 25 per cent of cancer deaths.

Vaccinating against hepatitis B to prevent liver cancer and eliminating cervical cancer by vaccinating against Human papillomavirus.

It listed others as screening and treatment, implementing high-impact cancer management interventions that bring value for money and ensuring access to palliative care including pain relief.

The actress made this known today on her Instagram page.

She posted “R I P Daddy❤️❤️❤️? You Fought Hard #cancersucks #thePainIsGone,”

We send our condolences to her and the family.