Four in 10 cancer cases preventable – WHO’s new global breakdown shows how
By: Abudu Olalekan
On Tuesday. WHO press room in Geneva – or maybe it was virtual, hard to tell with those pixelated backdrops. Anyway. Statement drops ahead of World Cancer Day. Theme: “United by unique.” Fancy. But the numbers? Stark.
Four in 10. That’s not a guess. New global analysis – 185 countries, 36 cancers – says up to 40% of cases could be stopped before they start.
7.1 million people heard “you have cancer” in 2022 who didn’t have to. Tobacco. Booze. Extra weight. Sitting too long. Dirty air. UV burns. And – first time ever – infections like HPV or hepatitis. All preventable causes.
Dr. André Ilbawi (WHO cancer lead, one of the authors) put it plain:
“We finally mapped the risks where people actually live. Not just global averages – but down to country level, gender, even age groups. So governments? They can stop saying ‘prevent cancer’ vaguely. They can target what’s actually killing their people.”
And yeah – it’s not equal. Men: 45% preventable cases. Women: 30%. Why? Look at the top risks:
Men: Smoking (23% of their cases), infections (9%), alcohol (4%)
Women: Infections (11% – hello, HPV and hep B), smoking (6%), weight (3%)
Dr. Isabelle Soerjomataram from IARC (she’s been crunching these for years) wasn’t surprised:
“In East Asia? 57% of men’s cases tied to preventable stuff – smoking rates, air pollution. But in Latin America? Only 28%. It’s not fate. It’s policy. It’s access to vaccines. It’s clean air laws that work.”
She’ll tell you: Infections jump out. Especially for women in sub-Saharan Africa – 38% preventable cases there, mostly HPV and hep B. “We’ve had vaccines for decades,” she said, “but if a girl can’t get the shot because it’s too far or costs too much? That’s not her risk. That’s our failure.”
The report’s clear: No one-size-fits-all. North Africa? Different risks than Southeast Asia. Rich country? Tackle ultra-processed food and car fumes. Low-income? Focus on clean water for hep B, school-based HPV shots, stopping tobacco ads near schools.
“It’s not just ‘eat healthy, move more’,” Ilbawi stressed. “It’s making those choices possible. Safe sidewalks so moms can walk kids to school. Laws that keep cigarettes away from playgrounds. Vaccines that come to the village – not just the hospital.”
7.1 million. That’s 7.1 million families who didn’t need that diagnosis. Who didn’t need chemo, or grief, or impossible bills.
Prevention isn’t perfect. Some cancers? Still mysterious. Some risks? Hard to avoid. But this? This is actionable. Right now.
As one oncologist in Lagos told me last week (off-record, over zobo): “We keep waiting for magic cures. But the biggest weapon we already have? Stopping the cause. Why aren’t we screaming about that?”
World Cancer Day’s coming. Theme’s nice. But what matters next? Do governments take this map – and use it? Or just file the report with all the others?
