[News] World Cancer Day 2023: For fairer care

[-Nightmare]

In 2023, the global community commemorates World Cancer Day on February 4 under the slogan "For fairer care" and a call to unite our voices and act.

PAHO joins this campaign with a call for everyone, collectively and individually, to commit to strengthening actions aimed at improving quality care, including screening, early detection, treatment, and palliative care.

Cancer in the Americas

In the region of the Americas, cancer is the second most frequent cause of morbidity and mortality, after cardiovascular diseases, and is an important basis of health inequalities.

An estimated 4 million people were diagnosed in 2020 and 1.4 million died from cancer. Approximately 57% of new cancer cases and 47% of deaths occur in people age 69 and younger, in the prime of their lives.

future trends
Worldwide, it is estimated that there were 20 million new cases of cancer and 10 million deaths from cancer. The burden of cancer will increase by approximately 60% over the next two decades, further affecting health systems, individuals and communities. The global cancer burden is projected to rise to about 30 million new cases by 2040, with the greatest growth occurring in low- and middle-income countries.

If measures are not taken to prevent and control cancer, the number of people who will be diagnosed with cancer is projected to increase by 57%, which means approximately 6.2 million people by 2040 in the Region of the Americas.

Cancer can be prevented and controlled
Cancer can be prevented and controlled by implementing evidence-based strategies for cancer prevention, screening and early detection, treatment and palliative care. The most common modifiable risk factors for cancer, common to many other noncommunicable diseases, are:

tobacco use
Low intake of fruits and vegetables
harmful use of alcohol
Insufficient physical activity
Some specific risk factors for cancer include chronic infections by human papillomavirus (HPV) -for cervical cancer-, hepatitis B or C -for liver cancer-, and H pylori -for stomach cancer.

One third to one half of cancer cases can be prevented by reducing the prevalence of known risk factors. Tobacco control and HPV vaccination are examples of interventions. The most effective primary cancer prevention relies on whole-of-government approaches, with legislation, regulation, and fiscal policies combined with individual and community behavior change activities. Public health messages and health promotion must present evidence on specific risk factors.

https://www.paho.org/es/campanas/dia-mundial-contra-cancer-2023-por-unos-cuidados-mas-justos#:~:text=cuidados más justos-,Día Mundial contra el Cáncer 2023%3A Por unos cuidados más,unir nuestras voces y actuar.