European Society for Medical Oncology

Honorable Chair, Esteemed Delegates,

The European Society for Medical Oncology, representing more than 40,000 oncology professionals from 179 countries, urges Member States to adopt the Resolution ‘Accelerating action on the global health and care workforce by 2030’.

Cancer is a leading cause of mortality worldwide, and cancer incidence is predicted to increase by 77% by 2050 [1]. A robust, well-trained, and well-equipped cancer workforce is essential to ensure high quality prevention 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 their well-being, manage workplace psychosocial risks, and reduce burnout among oncology professionals [2]. The freely accessible ESMO/ASCO Global Curriculum in Medical Oncology [3] 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] ESMO/ASCO Global Curriculum in Medical Oncology https://www.esmo.org/career-development/global-curriculum-in-medical-onc...