Professor Ole Petter Ottersen, Chair of the Lancet-UiO Commission and President of the University of Oslo presented the work of the Commission at a plenary session of the World Cancer Congress in Paris on 3rd November.
He explained how, despite large gains in health over the past few decades, the distribution of health risks and access to health care remain extremely and unacceptably uneven. Efforts of the health sector often come into conflict with powerful global actors in pursuit of other interests such as protection of national security, safeguarding of sovereignty, or economic goals. For the continued success of the global health system in general and of cancer care in particular, global governance processes outside the health arena must be made to work better for health.
He made reference also to the Independent Panel on Global Governance for Health which was set up to continue the work of the Commission.
A Viewpoint entitled ‘Political origins of health inequities: trade and investment agreements’, written by the Panel, appears in the Lancet on 8th November.
