WHO predicts a 60% increase in cancer cases over the next 20 years

World Cancer Day (February 4) aims to educate people about the disease and what can be done to combat it. On this occasion, health organizations around the world focus on the important role of cancer prevention and early detection.

The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts a 60% increase in cancers over the next two decades by 2040. This increase could even be more than 80% in low- and middle-income countries.

One in five people worldwide will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime.

This report highlights that smoking is currently responsible for 25% of cancer deaths. Although cancer was long considered a disease of wealthy countries, this is no longer the case.

Measures to reduce tobacco consumption are well known, and their implementation can significantly contribute to reducing these figures. Other measures to promote to reduce this burden include reducing alcohol consumption, vaccination against hepatitis B to prevent liver cancer, and eliminating cervical cancer by vaccinating against the human papillomavirus.

The even greater increase in low- and middle-income countries is due in particular to a lack of investment in prevention and care. Until now, limited resources have been devoted solely to combating infectious diseases and improving maternal and child health. Cancer mortality is rising sharply and requires dedicated resources. Moreover, the disparities between countries are very significant.

" This is a wake-up call for all of us to address the unacceptable inequalities between cancer services in rich and poor countries. " said Ren Minghui, Assistant Director-General of WHO, in a report devoted to this subject.

©Generation Without Tobacco