Politics
WHO Report Reveals Widening Global Inequities in Cancer Care
July 13, 2026 at 04:56 PM
The WHO has released a global status report on cancer that highlights persistent and widening inequities in access to prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care.
- The report estimates 20.6 million cancer cases and 10 million deaths annually, projected to rise to nearly 35 million cases by 2050.
- Dr Andre Ilbawi, WHO team lead for cancer control, said the story of cancer has been about scientific progress but that is not the whole story given the inequities.
- In low- and lower-middle income countries, only 9% to 54% of priority cancer drugs are available, compared to 68% to 94% in high-income countries.
- Breast cancer survivor Abigail Simon-Hart from Nigeria said parents sometimes choose between paying for treatment and keeping a child in school.