WHO urges urgent action as global cancer cases set to double by 2050

From Doris Obinna

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for urgent global action to combat cancer, warning that the number of new cases could rise to nearly 35 million annually by 2050 if governments fail to strengthen prevention, diagnosis, treatment and supportive care.

The warning came with the release of the WHO Global Status Report on Cancer 2026, produced jointly with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which paints a troubling picture of a disease that continues to impose an enormous health, emotional and financial burden worldwide.

According to the report, cancer remains the world’s second leading cause of death after cardiovascular disease, with an estimated 20.6 million new cases and nearly 10 million deaths recorded each year. More than 26,000 people die from the disease every day.

The report says reversing the trend will require a fundamental shift to a people-centred approach that prioritises the health needs and lived experiences of patients, survivors, caregivers and communities.

Despite progress in areas such as political commitment, tobacco control, vaccination programmes and investments in treatment, the report highlights persistent and widening inequalities in access to cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and supportive care.

The disparities are particularly stark between high-income and low-income countries. While 87 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer survive for at least five years after diagnosis in high-income countries, the figure falls to about 42 per cent in low-income countries. The report also found that fewer than one in three countries currently include cancer care in their universal health coverage packages.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the findings demonstrate that where a person lives or how much they earn should not determine their chances of surviving cancer.

“Cancer is a deeply personal disease that touches nearly all of us. But whether a person survives cancer should never depend on where they were born or what they earn,” he said.

He added that the inequalities documented in the report were not inevitable but the result of policy choices that could be reversed through stronger and more coordinated action.

The report notes that most people will be affected by cancer at some point in their lives, either through their own diagnosis or that of a close family member, making it one of the most significant public health challenges globally.

Beyond its health consequences, cancer continues to exact a heavy financial and social toll on families. WHO’s first global survey of people affected by the disease found that at least 45 per cent experience financial hardship, more than half report mental health challenges, and almost all caregivers face significant strain, including the burden of providing unpaid care and coping with social isolation.

The WHO said addressing these challenges will require greater investment in equitable cancer services, stronger prevention programmes and expanded access to quality care to prevent millions of avoidable deaths in the coming decades.