Thursday 09 / July / 2026
Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the number of new cancer cases could rise to nearly 35 million annually by 2050 unless urgent action is taken, emphasising that the disease remains the second leading cause of death in the world after cardiovascular diseases.
The UN News Centre quoted the organization as stating in its Global Cancer Report 2026, prepared in cooperation with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), that cancer causes the death of more than 26,000 people daily, with approximately 20.6 million new cases and nearly 10 million deaths recorded annually.
The report explained that curbing this trend requires a shift toward an approach that puts people at the center of cancer control efforts, pointing to the continued widening of inequalities in access to prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care services.
For his part, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, emphasised that chances of surviving cancer should never depend on place of birth or income level.
The organisation's report noted that about 4 out of 10 cancer cases are linked to preventable risk factors, such as tobacco use, consumption of spirits, obesity, physical inactivity, and certain infections, highlighting the importance of investing in prevention.
