Bridging the Gap in Women’s Cancer Care: A Global Policy Report on Disparities, Innovations and Solutions

Andrea Manzano, Urška Košir and Thomas Hofmarcher
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Andrea Manzano: IHE - The Swedish Institute for Health Economics
Urška Košir: IHE - The Swedish Institute for Health Economics
Thomas Hofmarcher: IHE - The Swedish Institute for Health Economics

No 2025:12, IHE Report / IHE Rapport from IHE - The Swedish Institute for Health Economics

Abstract: Women’s cancers – breast, cervical, ovarian, and uterine – represent a large and growing challenge worldwide.

In 2022, 3.7 million women were diagnosed and 1.3 million lost their lives, with the burden projected to rise by more than 50% by 2050, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Beyond the health impact, these cancers carry profound social and economic consequences, as women often balance the dual role of patient and caregiver, face stigma, and shoulder high out-of-pocket costs. The report highlights that while powerful tools already exist – HPV vaccination, screening, advanced diagnostics, new therapies – access remains deeply unequal, with survival rates for the same cancers varying considerably between high- and low-income settings.

Investing in women’s cancers is not only a health priority but also a smart economic strategy: every dollar spent on prevention, early detection, and treatment can return multiple times in societal and economic benefits. The report outlines a roadmap of policy recommendations – from scaling prevention and screening to strengthening cancer systems and leveraging innovation equitably – and underscores the need for global frameworks that address all four women’s cancers. Ensuring that women everywhere have access to effective and affordable cancer care is both a matter of equity and a catalyst for stronger, more resilient societies.

The report was launched on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 80) at a high-level event in New York City.

Keywords: women’s cancers; breast cancer; cervical cancer; ovarian cancer; endometrial cancer; uterine cancer; gynecological cancer; innovation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 122 pages
Date: 2025
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