City Cancer Challenge (C/Can) shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Cancer is one of the clearest tests of a health system. It exposes weaknesses in diagnosis, referral, treatment and follow-up that affect not only people living with cancer, but the resilience of health systems as a whole.
In a new op-ed in IPS Inter Press Service, Isabel Mestres, CEO of City Cancer Challenge (C/Can), argues that cities are uniquely placed to identify these gaps and to drive lasting solutions.
Drawing on the experience of Asunción, she shows how locally led improvements across laboratories, workforce training and referral pathways have helped women with suspected cancer receive earlier diagnoses, start treatment sooner, and remain connected to care. Because these changes were co-developed and owned by local institutions, they are built to last.
Her message to governments and funders is clear: achieving more equitable cancer care means investing in the local health systems that turn policy into practice.
Read the full op-ed.”