Four in 10 cancer cases preventable — World Health Organisation
Nearly four out of every 10 cancer cases worldwide are linked to preventable risk factors, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said, urging countries to step up investment in prevention to reduce the growing burden of the disease.
The WHO identified infections such as human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B and C, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, obesity, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity and air pollution as major drivers of cancers globally.
The Director of the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Dr Elisabete Weiderpass, said although some countries had recorded declines in certain cancer rates after implementing preventive measures, overall progress remained slow.
She said the global cancer profile was changing, increasingly influenced by rising levels of obesity, physical inactivity, poor diets and air pollution, and stressed that cancer prevention must remain a political priority.
Dr Weiderpass made the call following the release of the WHO Global Status Report on Cancer 2026 on Wednesday, jointly developed with the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The report projects that annual cancer cases could rise from an estimated 20.6 million currently to nearly 35 million by 2050 if urgent action is not taken.
It also noted that cancer remains the world’s second leading cause of death after cardiovascular diseases, claiming close to 10 million lives each year, the equivalent of more than 26,000 deaths daily.
In Ghana, about 28,000 new cancer cases are recorded annually, with nearly 18,000 deaths. Health experts attribute the high mortality largely to late-stage diagnosis, often linked to inadequate screening and low public awareness of preventable risk factors.
Efforts to address the situation include the rollout of free primary healthcare services, nationwide HPV vaccination for girls, hepatitis B immunisation and tobacco control measures.
However, health experts have repeatedly urged individuals to take responsibility for their health by adopting healthier diets, increasing physical activity, reducing alcohol intake, avoiding tobacco use and supporting efforts to ensure cleaner environments.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
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