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This is a big deal: The UK’s National Health Service launched the world’s first trial of a vaccine for cancer, the world’s second leading killer. Here’s why it matters.

3 things to know

1. One in five people globally will get cancer in their lifetime. There were nearly 20 million new diagnoses and 9.7 million deaths in 2022. The vaccine in the UK trial aims to change that.

What’s going on? The trial vaccine doesn’t prevent people from getting cancer. It’s given to cancer patients to help train their immune systems to detect and destroy cancer cells and prevent cancer from spreading. If successful, the vaccine could significantly reduce cancer deaths globally. The trial comes amidst new evidence that cancer rates for 17 of the 34 most common cancers are increasing in younger people.

2. Cancer’s impact is uneven. Death rates for many types of cancer are higher in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries — even though more people in high-income countries get cancer. Women are disproportionately impacted. Here’s how that plays out for women living in wealthy vs. less wealthy countries when it comes to breast cancer:

Wealthy countries: 1 in 12 women (8.3%) are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. 1 in 71 women (1.4%) will die from it.

Less wealthy countries: Only 1 in 27 women (3.7%) are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. But 1 in 48 women (2.1%) will die from it. A similarly biassed pattern exists for cervical cancer. 

What’s going on? Late diagnoses and lower access to high-quality care makes cancer more lethal in lower-income countries. It’s yet another example that inequality kills. Only 39% of countries are providing adequate funding for cancer care and treatment. There are lots of reasons for this, but amongst them: high debt burdens that force governments to make difficult spending choices. Even before the pandemic (which worsened fiscal strain), 32 African countries spent more on debt service than on healthcare.

3. Lower-income countries will increasingly feel cancer’s impact.

Projected cancer cases by region

Source: World Economic Forum

Three-quarters of all cancer deaths will occur in low- and middle-income countries by 2030. And they’ll see the biggest increase in cancer cases globally over the next 50 years:

• + 400% in low-income countries
• + 168% in middle-income countries
• + 53% in high-income countries

What’s going on? The sharper increase in less wealthy countries is due to a combination of growing populations, longer life expectancy, increased urbanisation, and lifestyle changes (80% of tobacco users live in low- and middle-income countries). The populations of less developed regions will grow by 2.3 billion over the coming 50 years. Meanwhile, more developed regions will see their populations contract slightly.

From the ONE Team

• Reuters used ONE’s analysis in its analysis of Africa’s “debt bomb.”
• Micaela Iveson’s 6 mind-blowing facts about vaccines.
• David McNair joined The China in Africa podcast to discuss a new vision for European engagement in Africa. He also summed up the uninspiring takeaways from this week’s G20 Finance Ministers meeting.
• Africa Confidential featured “Why Europe Needs Africa,” a report edited by David McNair.

The numbers

• 350,000:The number of deaths from cervical cancer in 2022.
• 94% of those deaths were in low- and middle-income countries.
• 100% of them were preventable.

Quote of the week

“Where someone lives should not determine whether they live…This is not just a resource issue but a matter of political will.”

— Dr. Cary Adams, head of the Union for International Cancer Control

What you should read, watch, and listen to:

• A historic leap in cancer vaccines.
• A military leader to his people: “Fight or you disappear.”
• Africa is beating HIV. But the rest of the world is falling behind.
• Developing tax rules for a globalised world.
• A Guinean court finds a former president guilty of crimes against humanity.

A look ahead

9 August: International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

The ONE Campaign’s data.one.org provides cutting edge data and analysis on the economic, political, and social changes impacting Africa. Check it out HERE.

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