Honorable Chair, Esteemed Delegates,

The European Society for Medical Oncology, representing more than 40,000 oncology professionals from 179 countries, welcomes the report on the Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030.

Cancer is a leading cause of mortality worldwide, and cancer incidence is predicted to increase by 77% by 2050 (1). The world needs a robust, well-trained, and well-equipped cancer workforce to ensure quality delivery of preventative strategies, timely diagnosis, and the safe and effective administration of cancer therapies and palliative care services to patients with cancer.

We urge Member States to build a sustainable cancer workforce, optimise its well-being, manage workplace psychosocial risks, and reduce burnout in oncologists (2). The ESMO Global Curriculum in Medical Oncology (3), freely accessible at our website, can support countries with the education and training of medical oncologists, and we are proud to collaborate with the WHO in cancer workforce planning.

Thank you.

(1) WHO Cancer factsheet. 2020. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer
(2) ESMO Resilience Task Force recommendations to manage psychosocial risks, optimise well-being, and reduce burnout in oncology. Lim, K.H.J. et al. ESMO Open, Volume 9, Issue 10, 103634. DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2024.103634
(3) https://www.esmo.org/career-development/global-curriculum-in-medical-onc...