Global cancer crisis: WHO warns cases may double by 2050

 By MONICA KAYOMBO

THE world is facing a growing cancer crisis, with the number of new cancer cases projected to rise sharply in the coming decades unless countries urgently strengthen prevention, early detection and access to treatment.

In a global cancer update issued on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that annual cancer cases could increase from the current 20.6 million cases to nearly 35 million cases by 2050 if urgent action is not taken.

The warning was contained in the WHO Global Status Report on Cancer 2026, developed jointly with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

Cancer remains the world’s second leading cause of death after cardiovascular diseases, claiming nearly 10 million lives annually. WHO estimates that cancer kills more than 26,000 people every day, highlighting the urgent need for countries to move beyond treating cancer and invest more aggressively in prevention?

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said cancer survival should not depend on where a person is born or their ability to pay for care.

“Cancer is a deeply personal disease that touches nearly all of us,” Dr Tedros said, warning that the inequalities documented in cancer prevention and treatment are not inevitable but are the result of policy choices that can be changed through stronger action.

The WHO report highlights widening inequalities between wealthy and poorer nations in access to cancer diagnosis, treatment and supportive care.

While about 87 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer survive at least five years after diagnosis in high-income countries, survival drops to approximately 42 percent in low-income countries. WHO further notes that fewer than one-third of countries have included comprehensive cancer care within their universal health coverage packages.