Honorable Chair, Esteemed Delegates,

The European Society for Medical Oncology, representing more than 40,000 oncology professionals from 179 countries, welcomes the ‘Updated roadmap’, and extends its strong support for WHO’s increased emphasis on tackling air pollution within the adopted 14th General Programme of Work.

As medical oncologists, the prevention of cancer through improvements to air quality is a key objective. Recent findings presented at ESMO Congresses, demonstrate a clear link between ambient air pollution, notably PM2.5 exposure, and an increased incidence of lung cancer in non-smokers (1) and the incidence of breast cancer (2). Research also indicates increased morbidity and mortality associated with PM2.5 in lung cancer patients undergoing treatment (3).

Accordingly, we urge Member States to harmonise their national standards with WHO guidelines. Air pollution control requires urgent action globally, with particular attention paid to low- and middle-income countries, where ambient air pollution related premature deaths are highest (4).

Thank you.

(1) A pathway from air pollution to lung cancer in non-smokers has been identified. https://dailyreporter.esmo.org/esmo-congress-2022/research-advances-in-t...
(2) Air Pollution and Breast Cancer Risk - A Link That Calls for Political Action. https://www.esmo.org/newsroom/press-and-media-hub/esmo-media-releases/ai...
(3) Ou JY, Kirchhoff AC, Hanson HA. Air Pollution across the Cancer Continuum: Extending Our Understanding of the Relationship between Environmental Exposures and Cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2020 Oct;29(10):1876-1879. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.
(4) World Health Organization. Ambient (outdoor) air pollution factsheet, 24 October 2024. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-health