Online course: The Global Breast Cancer Initiative foundational course
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide and the leading cause of cancer deaths among women, disproportionately affecting individuals in low- and middle-income countries.
The WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative (GBCI), established in 2021, has set the goal to reduce breast cancer mortality by 2.5% per year, which over a 20-year period would save 2.5 million lives.
This course provides foundational knowledge on the strategies that national programme managers, policy makers and multisectoral actors should follow in assessing, strengthening and scaling-up services for the early detection and management of breast cancer.
What is the WHO Global Breast Breast Cancer Initiative?
Epidemiology, disparity and inequity of breast cancer
Contributor – Dr Mary Nyangasi, WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative Lead
Health promotion for early detection (pre-diagnostic interval)
Contributor – Dr Partha Basu, Head, Early Detection, Prevention and Infections Branch, International Association of Cancer Registries (IARC)
Timely and quality diagnosis of breast cance (diagnostic interval)
Contributor – Dr Benjamin O. Anderson, Global Technical Lead for Breast Cancer, City Cancer Challenge (C/CAN)
Comprehensive breast-cancer management (treatment interval)
Contributor – Dr Fatima Cardoso, Director, Breast Unit, Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Lisbon, Portugal; President, Advanced Breast Cancer (ABC) Global Alliance
This module focuses on patient navigation in breast cancer care, highlighting its importance in bridging gaps and improving outcomes for women worldwide. It outlines why patient navigation matters, how it works, and its role in timely detection, diagnosis, and treatment, featuring practical insights into developing and implementing patient navigation programmes.
This course is exclusive to UICC members and available on demand on UICC Connect
Last update
Friday 12 December 2025