Shobha Krishnan, Founder and President of Global Initiative Against HPV and Cervical Cancer, Founding Member of Asia-Pacific Women’s Cancer Coalition, and Member of Advocacy Campaign Committee at the International Papillomavirus Society, shared some insights from UNGA 80 (The 80th United Nations General Assembly):
“I had the honor of attending several inspiring events during the 80th UN General Assembly in September 2025, themed ‘Better Together: 80 years and more for peace, development, and human rights.’
1. Dasra/India Philanthropy Forum
Rooted in ‘India for the World, and the World for India,’ the forum highlighted India’s growing role as a hub for social innovation and the power of diaspora giving. Two things stood out: the Indian diaspora totals 35 million people with a $1 trillion economy, and India Giving Day has grown from $1M to nearly $9M in just three years! I left the event encouraged by the incredible people committed to India’s prosperity and the upliftment of marginalized communities.
2. ASCO/Bloomberg High-Level Event
The all-energetic Catharine Young coordinated panels on Global Cancer Financing with ministers, global health leaders, innovators, and survivors. The ambitious goal: raise $1 billion by 2030 to accelerate earlier cancer diagnosis – when treatment is most effective, survival rates are highest, and the potential for lives saved is greatest.
3. UICC Event: Bridging the Cancer Gap
We discussed advancing national cancer control plans, which once again underscored the critical role of funding necessary in achieving these objectives.
My key takeaway from the week: There’s enormous untapped potential in wealth around the world – from foundations to everyday people and the next generation eager to give back. Our challenge is to build trust, craft compelling cases, and design creative ways to engage them. Investing in the process of funding itself – researching and testing new approaches – will unlock resources and amplify impact for causes that truly matter.
Investing in smarter ways to fund initiatives isn’t just necessary – it’s game-changing.”
You can also read OncoDaily’s special article on UNGA 80.
