WHO Report: 92% of people worldwide will be affected by cancer at least once in their lifetime
Nearly 92 per cent of the world's population will be affected by cancer at least once in their lifetime, either personally or through a close family member, according to a new report jointly released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
The report estimates that one in five people will develop cancer during their lifetime, while the disease claims more than 26,000 lives every day. With around 20.6 million new cancer cases and nearly 10 million deaths annually, cancer remains the second leading cause of death globally after cardiovascular diseases.
The analysis highlights significant inequalities in cancer care across countries. While 87 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer survive at least five years in high-income countries, the survival rate falls to around 42 per cent in low-income nations due to limited access to timely diagnosis and treatment.
According to the report, fewer than one in three countries include cancer care under their universal health coverage programmes. The availability of essential cancer medicines also varies widely, ranging from just 9 to 54 per cent in low- and lower-middle-income countries, compared to 68 to 94 per cent in high-income nations.
The WHO noted that although 82 per cent of countries now have national cancer control plans and tobacco use has declined globally, progress in translating these measures into effective cancer prevention and treatment remains slow.
The report calls for governments, international organisations and healthcare providers to strengthen cancer prevention, improve access to affordable diagnosis and treatment, integrate cancer care into universal health coverage and ensure patients remain at the centre of healthcare systems.
It also urges greater investment in research, innovation and equitable access to life-saving cancer medicines to reduce the growing global burden of the disease.
