News Release

World Health Organization anticancer initiatives - Where next?

The Lancet Oncology

Peer-Reviewed Publication

The Lancet_DELETED

The race to appoint the next head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has begun, but will cancer be a priority for the new Director General? This question is addressed in the January issue of TLO in a special Newsdesk highlighting WHO's worldwide anticancer initiatives.

Introducing the theme, this month's Leading edge argues that chronic diseases such as cancer should become a priority for WHO as life expectancy continues to increase in developing countries. The editorial warns that much of Gro Harlem Brundtland's good work over the past 5 years-especially her emphatic campaign against tobacco-may fall by the wayside if the next Director General has different priorities.

Corporate influence in the IARC
WHO's cancer research arm, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, comes under fire in a Newsdesk feature focusing on WHO's European activities. In a letter sent to the Director General, several prominent scientists raised concerns about inappropriate corporate influence over the classification of harmful substances by the IARC, the feature explains. Speaking to TLO, Gro Harlem Brundtland and Paul Kleihues, Head of the IARC, responded to the allegations for the first time. "WHO is continuously working to increase diversity in the panels of experts attending WHO meetings," Brundtland told TLO. She says "WHO shall be issuing some revisions to improve the process for handling the declaration of interests by experts".

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