World Cancer Day 2023: commercial interests drive millions of avoidable cancer deaths

Monday 30 January 2022. Geneva, Switzerland. The Union for International Control (UICC), which drives the campaign for World Cancer Day on 4 February, calls on governments around the world to prioritise four policy actions to reduce preventable cancers caused by tobacco use and the consumption of alcohol and ultra-processed foods including sugary beverages.

Nearly half of all deaths due to cancer – 4.45 million out of more than nine million in 2019 – are caused by known modifiable risk factors, with smoking, alcohol consumption and high body mass index (BMI) among the top three. 

Sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods are known drivers of obesity, defined as a BMI above 30 and, like tobacco and alcohol, are potentially addictive. These products are marketed by companies whose corporate interests often outweigh concerns for global health.