From Our President - Cancer Policy in a Time of Global Disruption

 

Look around the world today and you see fraying alliances, rising friction, and deepening uncertainty. So much is shifting – and not for the better. The global effort to fight cancer is under considerable strain, and we must ensure our mission is not derailed by this turbulence.

That’s why our new International Committee is so important. Created last year with the endorsement of the ECO Board, it now coordinates our relationships and activities beyond Europe. It ensures that international collaboration on cancer is maintained and expanded, and that new opportunities are explored and implemented.

I have the privilege of chairing this group, which includes 15 outstanding leaders in the fight against cancer – from countries across Europe and around the world.                      

Our first meeting of the year, held just a few weeks ago, focused on how these global disruptions are affecting cancer policy, funding, and international cooperation. The answer, in a word: profoundly.

We often hear how cancer does not care about borders. Unfortunately, neither do funding cuts. Health budgets are being slashed or threatened across the globe.

Historically, the United States has been the largest contributor to the WHO, providing approximately 15% of its total budget. But in January, the U.S. announced a complete withdrawal from the WHO, resulting in an annual funding reduction of nearly $1 billion.

Additionally, the contracts of 5,800 projects that had been financed by the United States Agency for International Development have been terminated, many of which related to global health.

Since January, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the world’s largest funder of biomedical research, has laid off 1,300 employees and cancelled more than $2 billion in federal research grants.

Here in Europe, budgets are also being restructured. Funding for cancer care and research – including flagship EU initiatives – is at risk. Any reduction in EU support would place key pillars of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the Cancer Mission in jeopardy: the EU Cancer Screening Scheme, the European Cancer Imaging Initiative, the EU Network of Comprehensive Cancer Care Centres, INTERACT-EUROPE, smartCARE, and others.

The story is similar in Australia and across Africa. In both regions, funding for cancer programmes faces significant challenges. 

There can be no question: if cancer care is to remain truly patient focused, we need global experiences, global initiatives, and increasingly, global investment. That means advancing initiatives like the Global Cancer Fund and building a coherent framework for cancer collaboration at a global level.

ECO’s recent International Committee meeting marked the beginning of that effort. It was a candid and forward-looking discussion of the specific challenges that lie ahead. The conversation will now continue during ASCO's Annual Meeting in Chicago, where many of us will gather in the coming days.

We have our work cut out for us.

With best wishes,
Csaba
Prof. Csaba Dégi