The Lung Cancer Policy Network’s statement on the WHO’s lung health resolution

At this year’s World Health Assembly in Geneva, a new resolution – Promoting and prioritising an integrated approach to lung health – was approved by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The Lung Cancer Policy Network welcomes this important resolution, which recognises the urgency of addressing lung cancer as part of implementing strategies to improve lung health. In our response, we highlight lung cancer-specific actions that can be taken by Member States to accelerate their progress towards the commitments in the resolution.
 

Why is action on lung cancer so critical?

Lung cancer is the biggest cause of cancer-related deaths, so prioritising lung cancer as part of lung health not only supports the more holistic approach put forward in the resolution, but also aligns to targets on the control of non-communicable diseases. Given the global disparities in rates of lung cancer – and with incidence and mortality from lung cancer expected to rise by 2050 to at least 4.62 million new cases and 3.55 million deaths per year – it is vital that the resolution serves as a call to action to expand programmes, reduce lung cancer incidence and mortality, and improve experiences and outcomes for people living with the disease. Raising awareness can also help reduce stigma whilst elevating lung cancer as a key policy priority.
 

What does the resolution say?

The resolution focuses on promoting and prioritising lung health by taking an integrated approach across a range of communicable and non-communicable conditions. This approach highlights the shared risk factors – such as smoking, and indoor and outdoor air pollution – for many of the conditions specified in the resolution, including lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, emphysema and asthma.

The resolution draws on prior WHO resolutions – on primary health care, tuberculosis, diagnostics capacity, COVID-19, patient safety, and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control – all of which have strong relevance to lung health, and should be built upon.

The resolution also addresses the impact of the stigma associated with lung conditions – and their low political prioritisation, which has resulted in limited action and progress.

In its recommended integrated approach to lung health, the resolution calls on Member States to prioritise a number of areas across policy and regulation, prevention, primary health, capacity building and access to medicines and technologies; it also sets out actions for the WHO to take forward.
 

What actions can decision-makers take on lung cancer?

For the past five years, the Lung Cancer Policy Network has championed the political prioritisation of lung cancer, highlighted the importance of early detection in improving outcomes from the disease, and focused on opportunities to enhance treatment and care through the implementation of defined care pathways. Through our network of more than 100 expert members – incorporating clinical, academic, industry and patient perspectives – we continue to develop practical recommendations for policy action that are grounded in evidence and built through consensus.

For lung cancer specifically, the Network recognises the critical role of earlier detection in improving outcomes. As an extension of the recommendations in the resolution, we urge governments and policymakers to prioritise earlier detection as part of lung cancer and lung health plans.

Below are excerpts of the resolution’s calls to action, and the steps we recommend for governments and policymakers:

Resolution priority: Develop integrated national policy for an integrated approach to lung health, encompassing both communicable and noncommunicable lung diseases, through multisectoral collaboration.

Our recommended actions: Recognise lung cancer specifically in national cancer control plans; and, as recommended by the resolution, include lung cancer in integrated lung health plans, ideally addressing prevention, earlier detection and optimal treatment and care.

(Also see our report on earlier detection)
 

 
Resolution priority: Incorporate an integrated approach to lung health into primary healthcare services towards the attainment of universal health coverage, inclusive of comprehensive lung health services, with effective referral pathways to secondary and tertiary care, when appropriate.

Our recommended actions: Ensure comprehensive, integrated and multidisciplinary approaches to all aspects of lung cancer care, including the development and adoption of care pathways for lung cancer, and optimised pathways between lung health specialisms.

(Also see our reports on care pathways and patient navigation)
 

 
Resolution priorities: Strengthen awareness of the health impacts of air pollution and enhance national air quality standards and monitoring capacity.

Create and enforce adequate regulations protecting workers from occupational risk factors impacting lung health.

Our recommended actions: Improve understanding and awareness of the risk factors associated with lung cancer, and ensure local data are used to generate a robust picture of the epidemiology of lung cancer, including risk factors.

(Also see our reports on screening implementation and earlier detection, and our interactive map of lung cancer screening)
 

 
Resolution priority: Strengthen existing comprehensive integrated approach lung health programmes, or establish new ones, including:

• strengthening health promotion, primary preventive services
• updating or developing evidence-based clinical and public health guidelines for cost-effective measures for early detection, diagnosis, and treatment
• updating or developing evidence-based information mechanisms for policy-making and programme monitoring.

Our recommended actions: Strengthen tobacco prevention and tobacco control, and, by extension, improve access to smoking cessation services (including by embedding these in screening programmes).

Utilise the breadth of evidence to expand policy commitments on lung cancer, including on earlier detection (e.g. low-dose computed tomography screening and management of incidental pulmonary nodules).

(Also see our reports on screening implementation, earlier detection, incidental pulmonary nodules and patient navigation, and our implementation toolkit)
 

 
Resolution priority: Strengthen national capacities for an integrated approach on lung health.

Our recommended actions: Ensure adequate data collection on lung cancer to inform policy priorities, and strengthen workforce and technical capacities on lung cancer as part of lung health.

Establish cancer registries where they do not exist, and incorporate lung cancer data, including staging.

(Also see our reports on screening implementation, care pathways and patient navigation)
 

Resolution priority: Improve access to and affordability and availability of safe, effective and quality medicines, vaccines and health technologies.

Our recommended actions: Integrate appropriate treatments and clinical trial opportunities for people with lung cancer, and ensure care pathways for lung cancer are ready to incorporate new, validated treatments and technologies by regularly reviewing existing care pathways.

Address financial and geographical barriers to accessing healthcare and technologies, and implement approaches to mitigate these and facilitate equitable access.

(Also see our reports on care pathways and patient navigation, and our implementation toolkit)
 

What happens next?

The adoption of the resolution solidifies the WHO’s commitment to lung health and provides a pathway for action by Member States. The resolution is an important opportunity to prioritise lung conditions, including lung cancer, on national and international policy agendas.

The Lung Cancer Policy Network hopes that the resolution will catalyse further funding and policy commitments to improve lung health across Member States. For those working to engage policymakers in their local settings, the resolution may also act as a tool with which to advocate and build momentum towards policy change.

The Network looks forward to working as part of the lung cancer community, and to collaborating with the broader respiratory communities, to advance the commitments in this resolution.