WHA79 side event – Building people-centred cancer systems: advancing rights, equity and support across the care pathway

How can people be supported to live well during and after cancer? The numbers of cancer survivors and people living with metastatic disease is growing: as of 2022, there are 53.5 million people alive within 5 years following diagnosis.1 This means there is an increase in people requiring support as they deal with issues alongside and following cancer treatment. 

This side event, co-hosted by UICC and the McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer, will focus on practical and innovative strategies to support people living with and beyond cancer, and their carers. Drawing on economic research, legal frameworks, and best practice, it will showcase actionable examples of how employers, policymakers, and advocates can create inclusive, flexible, and supportive environments for people affected by cancer. By building capacity for people-centred systems which can be adapted to local contexts, itseeks to influence policy change to embed patient rights, health literacy and equity in national cancer strategies. 

People living with and beyond cancer, including those affected by cancer such as their family members and unpaid carers, face a variety of challenges as they navigate life following a cancer diagnosis. These span from financial challenges relating to costs of cancer care, barriers in returning to or maintaining work, to stigma and discrimination associated with a cancer diagnosis. The reintegration of people impacted by cancer in society and the quality of their life rely heavily on the availability of and access to legal protections and social supports that enable them to thrive. As cancer continues to affect working-age populations globally, ensuring equitable access to financial supports and workplace accommodations is a matter of both human rights and social and economic resilience —making this a topic of urgent international relevance.