ESMO regularly contributes to global health forums at the highest political level, bringing to the discussions issues that matter to patients with cancer and their carers, and sharing knowledge and ESMO tools that can support countries to enhance patients’ access to optimal cancer care.
Enabled by its ‘Non-State actors in official relations with World Health Organisation (WHO)’ status, ESMO was invited to make statements at the WHO 156th Executive Body (EB) meeting in Geneva. The statements urged Member States to:
- strengthen the delivery of optimal care for patients with rare cancers and rare molecular alterations of more common cancers;
- prioritise cancer prevention and control and optimisation of the cancer workforce during the Fourth UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs;
- build a sustainable oncology workforce, optimise its well-being, manage workplace psychosocial risks, and reduce burnout in oncologists;
- strengthen the resilience of secondary and tertiary care levels, where patients with cancer are predominately treated, as essential parts of health emergency preparedness and response; and
- harmonise national air quality standards with WHO guidelines, to reduce the incidence of lung and breast cancers.
The WHO EB advises and facilitates the work of the World Health Assembly (WHA), which is the supreme decision-making body, composed of 194 Member States. ESMO will follow through the issues highlighted in the five statements to the EB at the next meeting of the WHA in May 2025 to continue to steer health policymaking at global and national levels.