The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday unveiled the first global survey to understand better and address the needs of people affected by cancer.

WHO, in a statement, said the survey was part of a broader campaign designed with and intended to amplify the voices of those affected by cancer survivors, caregivers and the bereaved.

According to it, the survey is part of WHO’s Framework for Meaningful Engagement of People Living with Noncommunicable Diseases’ (PLWNCDs).

It said the framework was a commitment to respectfully and meaningfully engage PLWNCDs in co-designing policies, programmes, and solutions.

“The survey results will feed into the design of policies and programmes to offer better well-being in the context of a cancer diagnosis and co-create solutions for the future,” it said.

The agency’s director-general, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said nearly every family globally was affected by cancer. One in five people are diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime or as caregivers or family members.

Mr Ghebreyesus said a cancer diagnosis triggers a broad and profound effect on the health and well-being of all those involved.

“For too long, the focus in cancer control has been on clinical care and not on the broader needs of people affected by cancer. Global cancer policies must be shaped by more than data and scientific research, to include the voices and insight of people impacted by the disease,” he said.

President of the American Childhood Cancer Organisation, Ruth Hoffman, said that recent studies have shown that nearly half of people diagnosed with cancer experience anxiety and loss of faith and may be abandoned by their intimate partners.

Ms Hoffmann added that in low and middle-income countries, financial hardship and loss of assets could be experienced by 70 per cent or more of those affected.

“When my daughter was diagnosed with cancer, our lives changed drastically and in ways that we did not expect. The effects of cancer last a lifetime,” Ms Hoffman said.

Also, Bente Mikkelsen, director of the Department of Noncommunicable Diseases at WHO, said understanding and amplifying the lived experiences of people affected by cancer can create more effective and supportive systems.

(NAN)