Cancer Survivorship in the Indo-Pacific: Priorities for Progress

Approximately 100 million people or 1.3% of the world population have a personal history of cancer and are thus considered to be cancer survivors. Around 40% of them reside in the area referred to as the Indo-Pacific. The term Indo-Pacific describes a geopolitical area extending from India across the interconnected space of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, with strong regional economic and political alliances and some of the world's fastest growing economies (India, Bangladesh, and Vietnam), making it one of the most strategically important regions globally. Indo-Pacific corresponds to two WHO regions: the Western Pacific and the South East Asia. It accounts for 60% of the world population, 45% of global cancer incidence, and 53% of mortality, with projections for a 48% increase in numbers of cancers over the next 20 years, attributed to population growth and aging. Within the region, comprising some of the most populous countries (China and India) and the least populous (Tuvalu), there is great variation in the prevalence of cancer (ranging from 0.25% in Bangladesh to 3.2% in New Zealand), numbers of cancer survivors, and cancer disability burden (Table 1)...