United for progress in global cancer control: 2025 outlook

As we enter 2025, I feel a profound sense of hope for the year ahead and its potential to significantly impact the global cancer burden. This year offers numerous key opportunities for us to come together and make meaningful progress in our mission to reduce the impact and burden of cancer. However, this hope is sometimes confronted with the reality of the challenges we face – many of which directly affect cancer control, care, and the broader community.

When the world appears to be retreating into greater protectionism and division, it has never been more critical to unite. From patient advocacy groups and industry leaders to the most influential decision-makers, everyone has an important role to play.

In just a few weeks, we will witness the strength of collective action through the World Cancer Day campaign as we engage the global cancer community around people-centred care. The campaign will explore the many dimensions of people-centred cancer care, by putting individuals and their stories at the heart of the conversation. I look forward to seeing the campaign – United by Unique – evolve over the next three years from raising awareness to driving concrete action. During this journey, we will have the opportunity to reflect on how we can contribute to this vital cause. I encourage you all to explore the World Cancer Day campaign site to discover how you, as an individual or organisation, can take part in this movement.

The importance of sharing our unique stories and perspectives will not solely be relevant during World Cancer Day. It will also shape the preparations for the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit in Melbourne in November 2025. There, we will unveil the updated World Cancer Declaration 2025–2035. We want global cancer control commitments with clear targets that:

• Reflect the realities, needs, and priorities of our members
• Are adaptable across resource settings
• Are forward-looking
• Involve diverse audiences and stakeholders
• Can be easily communicated to the general public
• Have a measurable impact in reducing the global cancer burden

With insights and perspectives contributed by our global cancer community – including key input from the World Cancer Congress in Geneva in 2024 – the declaration will embody a unified call to action for decision-makers. I look forward to continuing to engage with members in the coming months to ensure that the revised World Cancer Declaration reflects diverse voices from the global cancer community. Together, we can create a resolution that not only presents actionable solutions to decision-makers but also holds them accountable for making targeted investments in national cancer control efforts.

Equally significant is the United Nations High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in autumn 2025. This meeting will be a critical opportunity to set ambitious, actionable targets for reducing preventable cancer cases. With NCDs such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases accounting for the majority of deaths globally, it is imperative that this meeting deliver more than empty promises. Who could argue that cancer – the second-leading cause of death globally – should not be a top priority on the international health agenda? With half of all cancers being preventable through effective policies, we will work to secure a commitment from our leaders, ensuring fewer people are affected and more lives are saved.

As we take the next steps in preparing for the upcoming UNGA meeting and the update of the World Cancer Declaration, I look forward to engaging with you to bring the needs of the UICC membership into tangible actions on the global health and development agenda. Let us make 2025 a decisive year – one where our collective efforts lead to lasting change.