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STORY: WHO / CANCER REPORT
TRT: 3:56
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 31 JANUARY 2020, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Wide shot, press briefing room
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Ren Minghui, Assistant Director-General, Universal Health Coverage/Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases, World Health Organization (WHO):
“We look at the disease burden, the NCD taking the majority of the share of the global disease burden. That's, that's almost same for every country as well. Even for the African country, we understand probably infectious disease is number one, but it's not true. We have a lot of data from African countries. Over 60 per cent of disease burden coming from the noncommunicable diseases. That's why we think that we have to work together more closely and invest more on noncommunicable diseases, including cancer.
3. Wide shot, press briefing
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Elisabete Weiderpass, Director, IARC:
“Seventy per cent of people in the world today die of noncommunicable disease, and one third of this is cancer is a much more important public health problem.”
5. Med shot, reporters
6.SOUNDBITE (English) André Ilbawi, Technical Officer, Cancer Control, World Health Organization (WHO):
“And even more concern is this cancer burden will increase as Dr Weiderpass has highlighted, reaching approximately 29.4 million by the year 2040, that is an increase for approximately 61 per cent globally, but a near doubling an 81 per cent increase for low and middle income countries that are at least prepared to encounter this increased burden.”
7. Med shot, reporters
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Bernard Stewart, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Australia:
But in respect of cancer, specifically. The situation of low- and middle-income countries is far worse in two respects. One is that they have a burden of cancer as a communicable disease. Ironically, cancer caused by viruses, cancer mediated by bacteria, and these are preventable diseases, but although we human beings have the knowledge, the situation of impoverishment means that they cannot be implemented as readily as such measures are implemented in high income countries.”
9. Med shot, reporters
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Bernard Stewart, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Australia:
“Whether it's a high-income country or a low-income country, there are inequalities. People are disadvantaged in respect of their availability, the availability of medical care, but more specifically for this report, the availability of cancer prevention, whether it's screening, whether it's giving up smoking, whether it's maintaining a healthy weight.”
11. Wide shot, reporters
12. SOUNDBITE (English) André Ilbawi, Technical Officer, Cancer Control, World Health Organization (WHO):
“When we talk about cancer the economic impact that can be measured by trillions. So 25 billion is an investment that governments can see as a valuable one.”
13. Med shot, reporters
14. SOUNDBITE (English) André Ilbawi, Technical Officer, Cancer Control, World Health Organization (WHO):
“For every dollar that a government invests in cancer leading till 2030 there'll be a $2 and 30 cent return on that investment by 2030.
15. Med shot, reporters
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Cherian Varghese, Acting Director, Noncommunicable Diseases, World Health Organization (WHO):
“Once, the person is diagnosed. Prompt treatment should be available very fast. Six months to one year is sometimes the waiting list in some of the places in the world, which is just unacceptable.”
17. Med shot, reporters
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Elisabete Weiderpass, Director, IARC:
One in five adults worldwide will get cancer before the end of their lives. Actually, this is the number globally in high income countries one in two men might get it and one in three women. So it's a very common disease. So the idea that cancer is a rare disease is no longer a reality.”
19. Wide shot, reporters
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Ren Minghui, Assistant Director-General, Universal Health Coverage/Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases, World Health Organization (WHO):
“We absolutely call the countries. When you look at primary health care strengthening and package, make sure that cancer, including all the cancer interventions, diagnosis, treatment and other health technology can be actually packaged in the universal health services in a country.”
21. Close up, report cover
The World Health Organization (WHO) today spells out the need to step up cancer services in low and middle-income countries. WHO warns that, if current trends continue, the world will see a 60 per cent increase in cancer cases over the next two decades. The greatest increase (an estimated 81 per cent) in new cases will occur in low-and middle-income countries, where survival rates are currently lowest.
This is largely because these countries have had to focus limited health resources on combating infectious diseases and improving maternal and child health, while health services are not equipped to prevent, diagnose and treat cancers. In 2019, more than 90 per cent of high-income countries reported that comprehensive treatment services for cancer were available in the public health system compared to less than 15 per cent of low-income countries.
“This is a wake-up call to all of us to tackle the unacceptable inequalities between cancer services in rich and poor countries,” says Dr Ren Minghui, Assistant Director-General, Universal Health Coverage/ Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases, World Health Organization. “If people have access to primary care and referral systems then cancer can be detected early, treated effectively and cured. Cancer should not be a death sentence for anyone, anywhere.”
Yet, progress in poorer countries is achievable. WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) are releasing two coordinated reports on World Cancer Day (4 February), in response to government calls for more research into the scope and potential policies and programmes to improve cancer control.
“At least 7 million lives could be saved over the next decade, by identifying the most appropriate science for each country situation, by basing strong cancer responses on universal health coverage, and by mobilizing different stakeholders to work together”, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO.
WHO highlights a wide range of proven interventions to prevent new cancer cases. These include controlling tobacco use (responsible for 25 per cent of cancer deaths), vaccinating against hepatitis B to prevent liver cancer, eliminating cervical cancer by vaccinating against HPV, screening and treatment, implementing high-impact cancer management interventions that bring value for money and ensuring access to palliative care including pain relief.
"The past 50 years have seen tremendous advances in research on cancer prevention and treatment,” says Dr Elisabete Weiderpass, Director of IARC. “Deaths from cancer have been reduced. High-income countries have adopted prevention, early diagnosis and screening programmes, which together with better treatment, have contributed to an estimated 20 per cent reduction in the probability of premature mortality between 2000 and 2015, but low-income.
Countries only saw a reduction of 5 per cent. We need to see everyone benefitting equally. The challenge will be for countries to select treatments balancing considerations including cost, feasibility and effectiveness. Each government is tasked with choosing the appropriate innovative cancer therapies, while recognizing that established treatments, many of which are very effective and affordable, can provide benefits for cancer without causing financial hardship.
