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05 December 2017

WHO Special Session: Setting the path for 2019-2023

Update from the WHO's Special Session of the Executive Board, where UICC delivered a statement on behalf of the global cancer community highlighting the critical importance of addressing cancer and NCDs in WHO's next 5 year workplan. 

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On the 22 and 23 November, the WHO held a Special Session of its Executive Board to discuss and review the 13th General Programme of Work (GPW) put forward by the Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. This is an important document for the global health, NCD and cancer communities, as it sets out the strategic direction for the WHO's work over the next five years. UICC has been tracking the development of the 13th GPW and has provided comments advocating for a strong GPW that supports the implementation of the 2017 cancer resolution.

During the special session, UICC delivered a statement on behalf of our members, expressing support for WHO’s focus on extending healthcare coverage to include a further billion people under universal health coverage (UHC), and welcomed attention to NCDs as one of the ‘flagship initiatives’.  At the same time, UICC raised concerns that the GPW focuses too much on NCD prevention and called for WHO to support governments to provide facilities to detect and diagnose cancer early, and ensure access to treatment and care for all populations. Read a copy of UICC's statement, alongside all the statements delivered by other NGOs, including the NCD Alliance. 

Feedback on the 13th GPW will be reviewed by WHO Member States at the next Executive Board meeting from 22nd to 27th January and, should agreement be reached, the final document will be put to the World Health Assembly in May 2018. You can read the lastest draft of the 13th GPW, and review all of the discussion documents from the Special Session here. For any questions regarding the 13th GPW, please contact the Advocacy Team at advocacy@uicc.org.

Tags WHO Cancer

Last update

Friday 07 June 2019

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