Cancer remains a major public health crisis in Europe. Today, Europe accounts for a tenth of the world’s population, but a quarter of global cancer cases. The EU Beating Cancer Plan and Mission on Cancer is in the process of being implemented across member states with a comprehensive, multi-pillar set of initiatives to increase our understanding of the disease, boost preventative measures and early intervention, and improve treatment. 

However, challenges remain, and we are far from living in a Europe free of cancer. Financing is one bottleneck to fully achieve the objectives set out in European and national cancer control plans. Too often, funding for cancer is viewed as a “cost only” rather than an investment, despite evidence that scalable interventions in prevention, early diagnosis, and timely treatment are considered smart spending as they can yield health, societal, and economic benefits. 

Underlying the funding challenge is the lack of data infrastructure and corresponding high-quality data to define and monitor disease incidence, investigate patterns of cancer treatment, and evaluate effectiveness of public health interventions. Hence, even though opportunities exist to harness innovative financing mechanisms and to create fiscal space for cancer prevention and treatment through the use of existing resources, the value of interventions at different stages of the cancer pathway often remains unclear due to lack of data. This information is also vital to drive evidence-based decision making for cancer-related policy and practice and integral to reaching targets established by the EU Beating Cancer Plan and Mission on Cancer. 

This Financial Times webinar, held in partnership with MSD, will bring together European policymakers, thought leaders, patient advocates and other healthcare stakeholders to discuss innovative approaches, financing mechanisms and solutions that can transform the future of cancer prevention and control across Europe. 

Shifting the cancer financing paradigm: How does Europe’s commitment to elimination of HPV related cancers (90% HPV vaccination of girls and significantly increased number of boys by 2030) serve as an effective call for action for better financing and focus on prevention? What is the evidence for the initiative and the barriers to achievement? What type of data is needed to improve the financing of cancer prevention and care? 

Innovative financing and care models: From value-based pricing to multi-year multi-indication to blended finance, social impact bonds and ‘sin taxes’, what are promising new financial models in the cancer space, and how do they address specific needs? What promising models of cancer care could be scaled up effectively within existing capacity constraints? 

From words to action: How can Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan serve as a blueprint for action? What progress are we seeing in the implementation of the plan in Europe and in Member States? How can the plan’s ambitious targets on HPV be translated into clearer targets in other cancer control areas? How can the European plan support not just planning but also financing of cancer control measures in member states? 

Improving the level of investment in data systems infrastructure: Why is data key for a new approach to cancer prevention and treatment? How can it help to provide evidence for value and ROI for interventions, inform and disseminate best practice, and demonstrate impact? What are the gaps and challenges to having robust health data systems in Europe at the national level and across the region?

Premier Digital Events Supported by the World's Best Journalism

Using leading digital technology, we have now taken our content, global audience reach and engagement to a new level through a series of unmissable virtual events. Our compelling events are chaired by respected FT journalists, feature the most senior and thought-provoking decision-makers in business, finance and politics, all accessible from your office or home.

© Financial Times Live

FT Live and its journalism are subject to a self-regulation regime under the FT Editorial Code of Practice