Cancer Care in Areas of Conflict

Cancer is a global burden with more than 18 million diagnosed and an estimate of 10 million deaths in 2020 worldwide. Cancer continues to be a major and growing problem in conflict affected areas too. The incidence of cancer is expected to rise significantly in those countries compared to the rest of the world. Conflict, massive migration and displacement has put a tremendous pressure on all health care systems and health economy which halted improvement in many cancer care in majority of the countries. Countries affected by conflict like Syria, Ukraine, Iraq, Yemen, Latin America and others has led to destruction of the whole countries healthcare infrastructure including health care facilities, diagnostic facilities, and unavailability of drugs and loss of health care professionals due to death, migration or disabilities. This lead to inequitable access to care, lack of prevention, loss of screening programs, delay in diagnosis, loss of follow up and in many cases no anticancer therapy or palliative care to offer. Historically, most of humanitarian aid was focused on basic needs and first aid, leaving NCDs including cancer care with trivial support if any. Recently with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the negative global economic crisis, refugees all over the globe will have devastating impact on cancer care screening, early detection, treatment and palliative care.