PD 16 - Radiation Therapy as an Essential Component of Cancer Control - World Health Summit 2020

The 43.8 million persons living with cancer who were diagnosed within the last 5 years demonstrate that cancer is a substantial global social and economic burden. The International Agency for Research on Cancer projects that by 2030, over 24 million people will be diagnosed with cancer worldwide and 13 million will die from the disease every year. The rising cancer burden hits low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) the hardest, many of which are ill-equipped to deal with the present situation, reflected in disparities in cancer survival and survivorship. The extent of implementation of national cancer control plans has increased in recent years, allowing access to health technologies such as radiotherapy for quality and cost-effective treatment for millions of cancer patients for the first time. This is particularly pertinent for women in LMICs who suffer over 90% of all global deaths due to cervical and 70% due to breast cancer. Mobile technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies are rapidly changing the delivery of healthcare worldwide. This panel discussion will share experiences of implementing essential radiotherapy services and explore how innovative healthcare solutions in this domain are contributing to increasing access to safe, effective, affordable and sustainable treatment services for cancer patients in LMICs. Successful strategic partnerships between Governments, international institutions and the private sector will be showcased and representatives from the IAEA, Varian, Ministries of Health and clinical experts will describe how new technologies can further close the access gap and improve outcomes for patients as well as address the challenge of shortage of medical cancer care professionals, in support of the Agenda 2030 and the newly adopted WHO Global Strategy towards elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem.