A new report released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated 20.6 million new cases of cancer and close to 10 million deaths are recorded globally every year, while the disease remains the second leading cause of death, after cardiovascular disease.
This was as the Federal Government expanded financial support for cancer patients through targeted health funds and insurance initiatives, while ramping up investments in local research, drug production and clinical trials to improve access to affordable cancer care.
The WHO report noted that cancer claims more than 26,000 lives daily, and without urgent action, yearly cancer cases are projected to rise to nearly 35 million by 2050.
According to the WHO Global Status Report on Cancer 2026, developed jointly with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), reversing this trend will require a fundamental shift towards a people-centred approach that responds to the health needs and lived experiences of affected people and communities.
The report provides a comprehensive analysis of progress across key areas, including political commitment, cancer prevention – particularly through tobacco control and vaccination programmes – and investment in treatment.
However, the report also reveals persistent and widening inequities in access to prevention, diagnosis, treatment and supportive care, leaving millions of people without the services they need.
Analysis of the report showed that while 87 percent of women with breast cancer survive at five years after their diagnosis in high-income countries, only about 42 percent do so in low-income countries. Fewer than one in three countries include cancer care in their Universal Health Coverage (UHC) packages.
The report, which highlighted cancer rates in different regions, revealed that the burden of the disease varies markedly across regions, adding that in 2024, Asia accounted for the largest share, with more than half of all cancer cases (50.7 percent) and deaths (56.5 percent), Europe carried a disproportionately high burden, contributing 21 percent of global cases and 20 percent of deaths despite having only about nine percent of the world’s population.
In contrast, many countries in Africa and parts of Asia experience lower incidence but disproportionately high mortality.
