Uniting Organizations

Now is the time to drive national action to reduce cancer deaths. Governments are following up on major global commitments including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the United Nations (UN) Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and the 2017 World Health Assembly cancer resolution, which outlines a clear roadmap to scale up action on cancer control, irrespective of income level. Because cancer knows no borders, cooperation is necessary to reduce the burden of cancer nationally and internationally. Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), based in Geneva, is the largest and oldest international cancer organization dedicated to taking the lead in convening, capacity building, and advocacy initiatives that unite and support the cancer community to reduce the global cancer burden, promote greater equity, and ensure cancer control continues to be a priority in the world health and development agenda. (Map 1)

Working in partnership has benefits such as amplifying cancer control initiatives and bringing them to the attention of key decision-makers, expanding the reach and scale-up of interventions, stimulating idea generation and peer-to-peer support, and shaping cancer policies that can leave a long-lasting footprint around the world. The global cancer community—including the UN, WHO, Ministries of Health, national cancer institutes, cancer societies, research and treatment centers, academia, patient support groups, appropriate private sector, and survivors at the local, national and global levels—is collaborating on a broad spectrum of activities that support cancer surveillance, early detection, treatment and care, and the delivery of palliative care. (Figure 1) Many of these organizations work on the development, implementation, and monitoring of National Cancer Control Plans (NCCPs) that are the foundation for the prevention and control of cancer in their countries.

The 2017 World Health Assembly cancer resolution entitled “Cancer prevention and control in the context of an integrated approach” (WHA 70.12) aligns national cancer control with the growing dialogue on universal health coverage, emphasizing the links and opportunities for integration across health platforms to deliver sustainable cancer care and stronger health systems. The resolution also emphasizes the importance of partnerships where these are fundamental to achieving the SDGs by 2030. (Figure 2, 3)