Every ten seconds in the Commonwealth someone is diagnosed with cancer, and every 18 seconds someone dies because of cancer.
These statistics highlight the urgent need to bolster public health systems within the Commonwealth so that they can cope with the demands for early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer.
So, as we mark World Cancer Day, a day that unites people, communities, and entire countries to raise awareness and take action against cancer, the Commonwealth Secretariat takes the opportunity to reiterate commitments such as the 2018 declaration by our leaders to accelerate cervical cancer elimination by 2030, and to ensure that by 2025 all girls in the Commonwealth have access to immunity from human papillomavirus (HPV) infection through vaccination.
We are dedicated and will continue to advocate for better prevention and treatment strategies for all our 54 member countries and build on key Commonwealth initiatives such as our Cervical Cancer Taskforce and our price-sharing database, which aims to address accessibility to oncology medicines and vaccines. We also recognise that to rid the world of cancer, we need to do this in collaboration with global partners such as the World Health Organization and the London Global Cancer Week initiative.
Today, as we focus on the importance of this work, we look back at a poignant conversation between young cancer survivors from around the Commonwealth and world-renowned health activist and leading global advocate for cancer control and noncommunicable diseases, Princess Dina Mired of Jordan.
The discussion took place during the 2021 London Global Cancer Week and was themed around elevating the needs of young people experiencing cancer in the Commonwealth. It looked at issues including fertility, mental health support, the cost of treatment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, as well as how cancer has impacted the lives of young people. This discussion is a powerful insight into why we are passionate about eliminating cancer.
Watch and listen to the exchange between Princess Dina and Yukiko Nakao from Tonga, Summer Ng from Singapore, Sidney Chahonyo from Kenya and Dr Pintos Egesimba from Nigeria.
Media contact
- Angela Kolongo Communications Officer, Communications Division, Commonwealth Secretariat
