As the global health policy community gathers in Geneva for the World Health Assembly, we are reminded of the pressing challenges to global health. Accounting for over 1 in 6, or 16.8%, deaths worldwide and nearly a quarter — 22.8% — of deaths among noncommunicable diseases, the impact of cancer is both profound and widespread.
Over the past dozen years, United Nations member states have focused on the increasing burden that noncommunicable diseases pose globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries. But now, advances in AI-enabled technology are transforming the access landscape with solutions to increase workforce capacity, optimize workflow, and deliver earlier and more accurate diagnoses.
Disproportionate cancer burden in LMICs
Over the past few decades, remarkable strides in early detection and breakthrough innovations in therapies have significantly improved survival rates for many cancer types. Yet, the progress remains disproportionately concentrated in high-income countries, and the cancer burden on LMICs is overwhelming.
While LMICs account for 57% of new cancer cases, they suffer over 65% of cancer deaths. This disparity is starkly evident in pediatric oncology, where five-year survival rates exceed 80% in high-income countries but plummet to less than 30% in LMICs.
The lack of resources in cancer care poses a severe challenge to developing economies. Shortages of trained oncology workforce, functional equipment, and affordable essential medicines make lifesaving treatments unattainable for a significant number of patients.
Beyond the human toll, the economic burden of cancer is immense. From direct medical expenses for diagnostics and treatment to indirect costs such as lost productivity due to illness, disability, and premature death, cancer strains economies and health care systems globally. Between 2020 and 2050, the global economic cost of cancer is projected to reach a staggering $25.2 trillion, highlighting its substantial impact on national economies and global development.
Scaling up diagnostic imaging for public health and economic gains
In this context, strengthening cancer diagnosis and treatment capacity in LMICs is critical. The Lancet Oncology Commission showed that a comprehensive scale-up of imaging, treatment, and care quality would avert 9.55 million cancer deaths for 11 cancers over a 10-year period. The scale-up of imaging would cost $6.84 billion in 2020-30 but yield lifetime productivity gains of $1.23 trillion worldwide. This means that every $1 invested in scaling up imaging would result in a net return of almost $180 in lifetime productivity gains.
Addressing these challenges requires developing affordable and accessible technology that fits the needs and infrastructure challenges of LMICs, training and education for health care professionals, including radiologists, oncologists, and technicians, and sustainable financing for cancer care programs.
This calls for the development of health care systems that are financially viable, commercially sustainable, and capable of providing fair, high-quality access to care. Achieving this goal will require sustained collaboration among technology providers, governments, international organizations, health care professionals, development banks, foundations, and nongovernmental organizations.
Technology and AI to achieve better quality, broaden access and reduce costs
As a leading global medical technology, pharmaceutical diagnostics, and digital solutions innovator, GE HealthCare is committed to global health equity, meaning that all people receive the highest possible standard of health, no matter where they are in the world. For us, this means bringing together data, technology, and innovation to deliver on health care’s triple aim: better quality, at lower cost, with access for more people. Technology and artificial intelligence are enabling clinicians to spend more of their time engaging with patients, rather than fiddling with the device or technology. In fact, GE HealthCare has topped the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s list of AI-enabled device authorizations for the third year in a row with more than 70 authorizations.
AI algorithms help identify disease more efficiently, and with greater accuracy, meaning critical cases can be prioritized and treatment mapped out quickly. AI tooling, which can be used to bring primary care solutions, such as handheld ultrasound with AI, to regions that lack mature health care systems, can help deliver care, train, educate, and address the lack of resources in LMICs.
We will continue to develop intelligent AI-powered and innovative technologies to extend care to underserved areas, invest in training and clinical education programs to strengthen the capabilities of health care professionals, and forge new partnerships to broaden patient access and enhance our distinct value.
Supporting WHO medical imaging resolution and driving partnerships to deliver success
Key initiatives such as GE HealthCare’s participation in the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Rays of Hope program, the partnership with the Gates Foundation to support the development of AI-assisted ultrasound imaging tools; the creation of a regional training center in Indonesia; the development of breast cancer screening guidelines in Uganda; the launch of mobile mammography units in Egypt; or the partnership with Kenyatta University Hospital to open the first public molecular imaging center in Kenya, are steps forward to break barriers and bring innovative, accessible cancer care to every corner of the globe.
In addition, in 2024 GE HealthCare launched the GE HealthCare Foundation. The foundation's mission is to remove barriers that separate underserved communities from high-quality health care. In its inaugural year, the foundation focused on improving maternal health outcomes globally, supporting projects focused on research, training, and empowerment for maternal and infant care providers. These grants equip caregivers with essential skills and resources, ultimately reducing health care disparities in Kenya, Indonesia, and the United States.
The proposed World Health Organization resolution to strengthen medical imaging capacity that will be put to vote at the World Health Assembly represents a pivotal step forward. It aims to improve access, financing, and training for diagnostic imaging worldwide, and brings us closer to a future where every individual, regardless of their geographic location or economic status, has access to care that saves and improves lives.
By aligning global efforts, encouraging governments to prioritize investment in cancer infrastructure, and harnessing innovative technologies tailored to the needs of LMICs, we can overcome barriers and make quality health care accessible to all.
Read more about the GE HealthCare Foundation here.
About the author
Elie Chaillot
Elie Chaillot is president and chief executive officer of GE HealthCare’s international region, a $7 billion business unit. He leads a team of 25,000 colleagues that provide health care technologies, services, and solutions to enable better patient care across more than 150 countries globally.
