Declaration of Support for the Global Cancer Financing Platform
Preamble
Recognizing that cancer is now the leading cause of premature death worldwide - and that the burden is rising fastest in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) - we, the undersigned, affirm our collective commitment to advancing cancer control and closing the global cancer equity gap.
While extraordinary gains have been made in reducing deaths from HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria through coordinated global action and catalytic financing, cancer remains underfunded, under-prioritized, and unequally addressed. In 2025, there are approximately 20 million new cases and over 10 million deaths per year, with over 70% of cancer deaths now occurring in LMICs, where access to prevention, early diagnosis, and timely treatment remains out of reach for too many.
This must change. And the time is now.
We imagine a world where cancer no longer decides the fate of the underserved, the young, or the forgotten, where access to lifesaving care is not determined by geography or income, but upheld as a basic human right. The Global Cancer Fund exists to make this vision real.
Purpose
We endorse the creation of the Global Cancer Financing Platform (GCF)—a bold, catalytic initiative to accelerate access to earlier cancer diagnosis and treatment in underserved regions. Through sustainable financing and multisectoral collaboration, the GCF will drive stage shifting—moving diagnosis from late to early stages - beginning with a focus on cervical and breast cancer, two of the most preventable and treatable causes of cancer death among women.
The Platform will mobilize $1 billion in new capital by 2030 as a first milestone toward building a sustainable global financing platform. Its initial focus is one of the most impactful, and under-resourced, interventions in cancer control: stage shifting - catching cancer earlier, when it can be more effectively treated.
The GCF will support investments that are aligned with national cancer control plans, embedded within broader health systems and universal health coverage (UHC) efforts, and designed to strengthen local capacity for the long term. The platform will feature a modular and flexible architecture, with expected components including catalytic grants, innovation investments, diaspora-linked remittance mechanisms, and blended finance opportunities.
It will align with WHO frameworks and regional strategies, and be built with equity, transparency, integration, and country leadership at its core.
Our Commitments
As signatories to this Declaration, we:
- Recognize the urgent need to expand cancer care in LMICs and the disproportionate impact of late-stage diagnosis on women and children;
- Support the Global Cancer Financing Platform as a critical mechanism to shift cancer diagnosis earlier, strengthen integrated health systems, and catalyze sustainable innovation in financing and service delivery;
- Endorse the principles of equity, country ownership, and catalytic impact that underpin the Platform’s design and future operations; and
- Welcome the opportunity for deeper engagement as the platform evolves, with a shared commitment to ensuring that no one should die of a treatable cancer because of where they live.
Shared Principles
Our actions will be guided by the following principles:
- Equity – Investments must reach the communities in LMICs most underserved by current cancer systems and markets.
- Country Ownership – Solutions must align with national strategies, institutions, and health priorities.
- Sustainability – The Platform must strengthen long-term capacity, not create parallel systems or one-off interventions.
- Integration – Cancer care should be embedded in primary health care systems, digital health platforms, and universal health coverage (UHC) strategies.
- Catalytic Impact – The Platform should unlock co-investment, drive policy change, and create systems-level shifts, not just fund projects.
Call to Action
We invite all governments, international organizations, financial institutions, philanthropies, private sector actors, and civil society organizations to join us in endorsing this Declaration and supporting the Global Cancer Financing Platform.
Together, we can shift the trajectory of cancer care for millions, and prove that where someone lives should not determine whether they live.
Last updated: September 19, 2025