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Isabel Mestres: Global health is in crisis

Isabel Mestres/LinkedIn

Feb 19, 2025, 14:53

Isabel Mestres: Global health is in crisis

Isabel Mestres, CEO of the City Cancer Challenge, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“Dear C/Can Cities,

The world is changing, and the headlines paint a gray picture: global health is in crisis. As the U.S. pulls back from the WHO, freezes foreign aid, and retreats from its commitments, much of the world remains silent. Funding for critical health programs is evaporating, and cancer -once again – is pushed to the sidelines. While global debates continue, the harsh reality remains: patients are dying, and you are left to carry the burden with too few resources.

Yet, you don’t stop. You keep fighting, strengthening health systems, mobilizing communities, and ensuring patients get the care they deserve. You lead the change, and the results speak for themselves:

You’ve made infrastructure improvements, reducing lab turnaround times and increasing chemotherapy service capacity.
Digital health is expanding, improving patient tracking and coordination to ensure timely diagnosis and treatment.
More patients are gaining access to care by addressing financial barriers and securing stronger policy support.

And we are here with you. Committed. Resilient. Unshaken. Our team stands by your side, ready to support every step. When the world hesitates, we move forward. While others reconsider, we act.

Resource mobilization is tougher than ever, but we have built a solid, agile organization – ready to navigate uncertainty and keep delivering impact where it matters most. While others pause, we accelerate. Together, we are shaping the future of cancer care.

Now, more than ever, we must focus on what truly matters: people. Together, we will keep driving change – because cancer cannot wait.

With unwavering resolve,

The C/Can Team.”