Advancing global initiatives in women’s and children's cancers
World Cancer Day 2023: New roadmap on breast cancer
Ahead of World Cancer Day 2023, WHO released a new Global Breast Cancer Initiative (GBCI) Framework providing a roadmap to attain the targets to save 2.5 million lives from breast cancer by 2040. The new Framework recommends to countries to implement the three pillars of health promotion for early detection, timely diagnosis and comprehensive management of breast cancer to reach the targets.
The newly published framework leverages proven strategies to design country-specific, resource-appropriate, health systems for the delivery of breast-cancer care in low- and middle-income settings. It outlines three pillars of action with specific key performance indicators:
- Recommending countries to focus on breast cancer early-detection programmes so that at least 60% of the breast cancers are diagnosed and treated as early-stage disease.
- Diagnosing breast cancer within 60 days of initial presentation can improve breast cancer outcomes. Treatment should start within three months of first presentation.
- Managing breast cancer so that at least 80% of patients complete their recommended treatment.
Stand together against cancer
"On the occasion of World Cancer Day 2023, we stand together against a devastating disease that affects all of us. At WHO we are committed to closing the cancer care gap—particularly in women’s and children’s cancers."
- WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros
Global breast cancer initiative implementation framework: assessing, strengthening and scaling up of services for the early detection and management of breast cancer
The purpose of this core technical package is to outline a pathway for incremental, sustainable improvements tailored to country-specific needs based on three key strategies and objectives: health promotion for early detection; timely diagnosis; and comprehensive breast cancer management. This document provides a common framework linking policy makers, stakeholders, the clinical community, program managers and civil society to evidence-based systematic approaches that can facilitate health systems strengthening and reduce inequities in women’s health throughout their life cycles.
Cancer centres of excellence help increase survival rates among children
A complex interplay of factors contributes to lower survival rates in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). These include incorrect diagnosis, insufficient diagnostic capacity and delays in treatment and treatment abandonment. The WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer established in 2018, with the support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital aims to address these factors and double childhood cancer survival rates to 60% globally, by 2030.
When cancer services are accessible, most children with cancer can be cured. What is required is a series of small, strategic investments to improve health systems. Establishing national cancer centres of excellence is one such measure that is implemented through the Global Initiative. In the past two years over 12 countries participating in the Global Initiative have established cancer centres of excellence and made investments to increase the capacity of their health workforce to deliver quality services for children with cancer. These cancer centres connect the dots across levels of healthcare through a robust referral pathway and harness competencies of a well-trained and multi-disciplinary health workforce—enhancing health outcomes.
Campaign to promote early diagnosis of childhood cancer
On International Childhood Cancer Day 2023, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) launched a new campaign ‘Support Kids with Cancer’ to promote early detection of symptoms and signs of cancer in children and adolescents — in partnership with St. Jude and Childhood Cancer International.
In paediatric cancer, a timely diagnosis and treatment are key to improving chances of survival. Parents, and caregivers, as well as the extended family and health personnel in general, play a very important role.
Download campaign material:
Watch the campaign video below:
Virtual Course on Early Diagnosis of Cancer in Childhood and Adolescence
The purpose of this course is to contribute to the reduction of morbidity and mortality in children and adolescents with cancer by strengthening the capacities of healthcare professionals on the early diagnosis of cancer with concepts and learning instruments that allow them to recognise the signs and symptoms of cancer in a timely and early manner.
Objectives: At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Define what the key concepts of cancer in childhood and adolescence.
- Describe the risk factors and genetic syndromes associated with cancer in childhood and adolescence.
- Apply knowledge in clinical practice (especially primary care).
- Examine the process of initial diagnosis and management of various types of cancer in childhood and adolescence.
- Know the interpretation of complementary tests used in the initial diagnosis of cancer in childhood and adolescence.
World hearing day 2023
World Hearing Day 2023 highlighted the importance of integrating ear and hearing care within primary care as an essential component of universal health coverage.
Primary ear and hearing care training manual
WHO launched a new training manual Primary ear and hearing care training manual - a practical guide on the prevention, identification, and management of hearing loss and common ear diseases that lead to hearing loss. It is intended mainly for health workers and doctors who work at primary care level and provide services to people either at health facilities or in communities.
Making ear and hearing care accessible in Fiji
Based on WHO’s Primary Ear and Hearing Care (PEHC) training manual, a programme to improve ear and hearing care knowledge and skills of medical and nurse practitioners working in health centres was conducted in Fiji.
WHO's Science in 5: Hearing loss
Science in 5 series - Episode #93 / What are the early signs of hearing loss? Can it be cured? What can you do to prevent hearing loss? Dr Shelly Chadha explains in Science in 5.
Global Trans Fat Elimination: Assessing progress
Trans fat intake is responsible for up to 500 000 premature deaths from coronary heart disease each year around the world. Despite substantial progress in eliminating industrially produced trans fat, five billion people globally remain unprotected from harmful trans fat, according to a WHO new status report. Since WHO first called for the global elimination of industrially produced trans fat in 2018, population coverage of best-practice policies has increased almost six-fold. Forty-three countries have now implemented best-practice policies for tackling trans fat in food, with 2.8 billion people protected globally. Yet, nine of the 16 countries with the highest estimated proportion of coronary heart disease deaths caused by trans fat intake currently do not have a best-practice policy.
WHO launched the fourth progress report on Global trans fat elimination to highlight the progress made in the past year by countries in different regions in tackling industrially produced trans fat; and further motivate countries to accelerate actions in achieving the 2023 trans fat elimination target.
WHO Overview Presentation | Case study: Argentina | Case study: Oman
Watch the event recording below:
Trans fat elimination: Resources
Countdown to 2023: WHO report on global trans-fat elimination
This fourth annual report monitors global progress towards the 2023 target for global elimination of industrially produced trans-fatty acids (TFA), highlighting achievements during the past year (October 2021 – September 2022). The report:
- describes the current global, regional and national situations, and changes during the past year (October 2021 – September 2022);
- tracks progress of key policy outcomes and milestones;
- discusses challenges and opportunities for future action;
- highlights enablers and barriers to TFA elimination at the country level; and
- recommends strategic priorities for the next 12 months to achieve the 2023 target.
REPLACE: An action package to eliminate industrially-produced trans fat from the global food supply
The REPLACE action package provides a strategic approach to eliminating industrially-produced trans fat from national food supplies, with the goal of global elimination by 2023. The package comprises an overarching technical document that provides a rationale and framework for this integrated approach to trans fat elimination, along with six modules and additional web resources to facilitate implementation.
WHO's Science in 5: Everything you need to know about Trans fat
WHO is urging action by Governments and the food industry to remove industrial trans fat from our food chain. Which foods contain trans fat? How do they harm us? WHO’s Dr Francesco Branca explains in Science in 5.
Regional updates
Digital platform to bring telehealth services to remote populations in Latin American and Caribbean countries
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has developed a digital platform to bring telehealth services to remote populations in Latin American and Caribbean countries, making telemedicine the “new normal” for healthcare workers and patients managing chronic diseases. The aim of the platform is to improve patient outreach and follow-up, with an emphasis on continuity of care for people with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The platform can assist diabetic or hypertensive patients in managing and monitoring their disease. It also allows health workers at remote points to create an “advance triage” to refer patients before they undertake necessary travel to a health center. The platform integrates applications such as instant messaging, conversational bots (chatbots), patient medical records and digital prescriptions.
WHO Jordan organises a tobacco control workshop for multiple stakeholders
Under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Dina Mired, World Health Organization in Jordan organized a two-day tobacco control workshop with participants from various Non-Governmental Organizations, civil society organizations, and health stakeholders.
The workshop's main objective was to empower the organizations, to play a role in shaping public opinions, establishing pressure groups and alliances to fight tobacco use, exchanging experiences about what strong tobacco control investments have worked in the past years and generating suggestions and mechanisms for potential collaboration and workable action steps. By investing in tobacco control measures, Jordan would reduce tobacco consumption, improve health, reduce government health expenditures and grow the economy. It would also reduce financial hardship among Jordanian citizens, particularly among those with low incomes and youth.
New resources
Increasing physical activity could save the EU billions annually: New WHO report
A new report from WHO and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) – “Step up! Tackling the burden of insufficient physical activity in Europe” – explains how increasing physical activity to the recommended levels could prevent thousands of premature deaths in the EU and save billions in health-care spending. According to the publication, increasing physical activity to the minimum recommended levels in the EU would prevent 11.5 million new cases of NCDs by 2050, including 3.8 million cases of cardiovascular diseases, 3.5 million cases of depression, nearly 1 million cases of type 2 diabetes and more than 400 000 cases of different cancers.
Health literacy development for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases: Volume 1. Overview
In light of the fundamental role of health literacy development for effective and equitable NCD prevention and control, WHO has launched a four-volume report Health Literacy Development for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases. The publication features an introduction into health literacy development as a globally relevant perspective for NCD prevention and control, recommended actions, and a series of global case studies from WHO National Health Literacy Demonstration Projects.
NCDs: A compendium
Drawing on the expertise of a large and diverse team of internationally renowned policy and academic experts, including staff from WHO, NCDs: A compendium with 59 short and easy to digest chapters is essential reading for policymakers across all parts of society, public health and clinical practitioners, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students.
One-stop resource toolkit launched on refugee and migrant health
Refugee and Migrant Health Toolkit developed by WHO’s Health and Migration Programme is a comprehensive, operational and user-friendly source of information, guidance and tools supporting implementation of health and migration related activities including the Global action plan: promoting the health of refugees and migrants 2019–23 (GAP), Regional Action Plans and other initiatives having similar goals. The Toolkit aims to provide in a single place the key tools and resources to support efforts in strengthening refugee and migrant health care in alignment with the priority actions in the GAP; these can then be quickly and easily accessed to guide action.
Risk communication of ambient air pollution in the WHO European Region: review of air quality indexes and lessons learned
This report provides an overview of air quality indexes used in 37 Member States of the WHO European Region and some observations/suggestions for future developments to improve risk communication on air pollution. Given the wide range of pollutant concentrations, mixtures and risk preferences observed, it is critical to provide tailored health messaging to accompany index levels. In addition to health-based validation studies, research should focus on understanding how the public uses air quality indexes: how many people are aware of the index, whether they consult it regularly, whether they modify behaviour in response to the information, and what specific actions they take in response to index values and associated health messages.
Panorama of Diabetes in the Americas
This report shows the latest internationally comparable data on diabetes and its main risk factors by year, country, and sex. It also includes a summary of the countries health systems’ response to diabetes, including national plans, targets, surveillance, guidelines, and access to essential drugs and technologies, and synthesizes information about diabetes-related complications and the close relationship between diabetes and other pathologies, such as cardiovascular diseases, tuberculosis, and COVID-19. The data presented here reveal that, despite advances in national responses, diabetes continues to expand, and our response remains insufficient. This report aims to draw attention to the urgent need to strengthen efforts to prevent, diagnose, and control diabetes in the Region of the Americas.
Upcoming events
Launch of the WHO Global report on sodium intake reduction
9 March 2023 14:00 – 15:00 CET
For the first time, WHO will launch a report exploring the progress of countries implementing sodium intake reduction policies and their impact on population dietary sodium intake and cardiovascular disease. Key remarks will be delivered by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus WHO Director-General and Dr Tom Frieden, CEO of Resolve to Save Lives and WHO regional experts. Join us to learn what people and countries can do to accelerate action.
Hidden in plain sight: The increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases among refugees and migrants
8 March 2023 14:30 – 16:00 CET | Virtual, On Zoom
The webinar will shed light on the burden of NCDs among people on the move and the major risk factors, and present the findings of the first WHO World report on the health of refugees and migrants. It will also showcase positive examples from various countries in tackling NCDs among refugee and migrant populations.
Please send your updates for inclusion in the next edition of the NCDs Newsflash: johannesa@who.int
