a priority for many governments. While new diagnostics and treatments have the potential to transform outcomes, they also present funding challenges, not only because of the new options for tackling cancer but also because these innovations require the right infrastructure and experienced physicians to make the best use of them. Funding shortfalls for modern cancer care result in patient access and outcome disparities. In Europe, countries that spend the least on cancer care also have lower access to new treatments and higher mortality rates. • Technology gaps. We have never had as many tools to fight cancer as we do today. From artificial intelligence tools to support diagnostics and clinical decision-making to precision radiology and personalised medicines, the pace of cancer care innovation is striking – but there are big gaps in access to these technologies. Many health and regulatory systems do not always have the capacity and experience to keep pace with technological change. This can lead to lags in the adoption of innovation. For example, it is estimated that an innovative cancer treatment receiving regulatory approval in the US in February 2024 may not be available to Latin American patients until the second half of 2028. While funding is one important aspect, there is also a need to strengthen health systems, especially in low-income and lower- middle-income countries, so that innovation is accessible to all patients. • Expert workforce shortages. Shortages in the cancer workforce is a shared and interconnected global challenge. By 2030, there is a predicted shortfall of 18 million health workers, predominantly in lower-middle-income countries. The expected shortage of health workers in the European Union is anticipated to reach 4.1 million in 2030. This includes 0.6 million physicians, 2.3 million nurses and 1.3 million other healthcare professionals. While individual countries will look to address shortfalls domestically, there is a need to take a global look at this challenge, as increasing recruitment of experienced cancer specialists from low- and middle-income countries to meet domestic shortages in high-income countries can exacerbate shortages in the former.
A Global Cancer Plan
As the G20 Rio Summit approaches, we are calling on leaders to prioritise a coordinated global response to the cancer challenge facing the world and consider a Global Cancer Plan
C ancer is a truly global health challenge. This will create new pressures on health systems and economies globally, including the G20’s largest economies. It is estimated that between 2020 and 2050, cancers will cost the world economy $25.2 trillion in international dollars. COMMON CHALLENGES Leaders across the world face shared challenges in dealing with the accelerating burden of cancer: • Late diagnosis and poor prevention. Too many people are diagnosed with late-stage cancers, severely impacting their treatment options and outcomes. In lung cancer, for example, 60 out of 100 patients in the United States are alive five years after diagnosis if the cancer is treated earlier; less than 10% Between 2022 and 2050, the number of new cancer cases is expected to increase by 77% in Asia, 85% in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 139% in Africa. are alive when diagnosed later. In Latin America, 30–40% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed late. Moreover, 30–50% of all cancer cases are preventable. For example, despite being highly preventable, the burden of cervical cancer is alarming in the Latin American region. In 2018 alone, over 56,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer, and over 28,000 lost their lives due to it. • Funding shortfalls. Diagnosing and treating more people with earlier-stage cancers when they are more treatable is
Sarah Aiosa , president, Latin America, MSD*, Isabel Mestres , chief executive ńýÎäŲ×ƈěƊƺƈ°ĸÎäŲƈ ė°īīäĸČä×ƈ°ĸÙƈ Dr Bettina Ryll , ûńƙĸÙäŲ×ƈ`äī°ĸńĴ°ƈ Patient Network Europe
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G20 BRAZIL: THE RIO SUMMIT — 2024
globalgovernanceproject.org
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