VIENNA, February 4 (United Nations Information Service) – World Cancer Day is always an opportunity to unite the world. This year has a special boost thanks to the recent approval of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, whose objective is the beginning of a decent life for all.

The sustainable development goals approved by all the governments of the world include the reduction by one third of premature mortality from chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCD). This builds on a historic commitment made in 2011 by the Heads of State. We are also guided by the Global Strategy on Women, Children and Adolescent Health, and the Every Woman and Child Count movement. Commitments to work for stronger health systems, universal health coverage, and expansion of comprehensive lifesaving interventions for cancer prevention and control.

We must do more to end the many tragedies that cancer inflicts. About a third of cancers can be prevented, while others are curable if diagnosed and treated early. And even when the cancer is advanced, patients should benefit from palliative care.

Cancer affects all countries, but those with the least resources are the most affected. Nothing illustrates this better than the incidence of cervical cancer. The world’s poorest countries are home to more than 8 out of 10 women newly diagnosed with advanced-stage cervical cancer, and 9 out of 10 women with this type of cancer die from the disease.

While I applaud the success of cervical cancer screening in many high-income countries, we have a responsibility to replicate this progress in low-income states, where cervical cancer remains one of the most common cancers among women.

Today, we have the knowledge, experience and tools to protect all women, everywhere. Comprehensive cervical cancer prevention includes vaccinations to protect girls against future human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, screening measures, and preventive treatment of precancerous lesions.

Place of residence should not determine whether a woman develops cancer or will die from it. We must work together to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem and to reduce the burden that millions face from all cancers.

On World Cancer Day, let us resolve to end the injustice of preventable suffering from this disease as part of our larger push to leave no one behind.

Contributed:

http://www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/en/pressrels/2016/unissgsm710.html