Description

Cancer is a major cause of morbidity and premature mortality, worldwide, and in the South-East Asia Region (‎SEA)‎. At the Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly in 2013, WHO Member States committed to a 25% relative reduction by 2025 in premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases (‎NCD)‎, including cancer. This target cannot be achieved without a substantial reduction in cancer mortality. The High-Level Preparatory (‎HLP)‎ Meeting held in the WHO Regional Office in New Delhi from 29 June to 2 July 2015 reviewed the attached working paper and made the following recommendations: Actions by Member States (‎1)‎ Develop and implement comprehensive national cancer control plans containing a range of prioritized interventions at different levels of health-care delivery systems. (‎2)‎ Strengthen health promotion, prevention of risk factors, immunization, early detection, advanced diagnosis and treatment and palliative care services. (‎3)‎ Consider appropriate techniques for prevention and early detection of common cancers including cervical, breast and oral cancer based on the country-specific epidemiological situation as well as programmatic and economic feasibility. (‎4)‎ Strengthen surveillance, monitoring and operations research for cancer prevention and control. (‎5)‎ Allocate sufficient funds for cancer prevention and control including through innovative financing such as taxation on tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy products. Actions by WHO (‎1)‎ Support Member States in setting priorities for cancer prevention and control and developing and implementing comprehensive cancer control plans. (‎2)‎ Provide technical support to Member States in establishing population-based cancer registries and conducting operations research for prevention and control of cancer. (‎3)‎ Support Member States in building capacity of different categories of health workforce in delivering cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and palliative care services. (‎4)‎ Advocate for and mobilize regional/international cooperation for making cost-effective cancer technologies, therapeutics and vaccines for prevention and treatment more affordable and accessible to populations. The working paper and HLP recommendations are submitted to the Sixty-eighth Session of the Regional Committee for its consideration.

Gov't Doc #

SEA/RC68/15

Language

English