A Novel Approach to Global Cancer Financing

October 15, 2025

  • Key partners in the global fight against cancer are seeking new ways to finance cancer care 

  • One pilot program is emphasizing laboratory testing metrics to improve patient outcomes 

On September 25, ASCP and key partners worked to advance the Global Cancer Financing Platform on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. The convening was hosted by ASCO and the Bloomberg New Economy International Cancer Coalition, and the initiative is led by Dr. Catharine Young, Former Assistant Director of Cancer Moonshot Policy and now a Senior Fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The shared goal is to mobilize new, blended capital, targeting at least $1 billion by 2030 to shift diagnoses earlier and accelerate time to treatment, with an initial focus on women’s cancers. 

ASCP is participating as an Organizing Committee Member to ensure laboratory systems are built into financing, governance, and measurement. Priorities include quality management, reliable supply chains, maintenance plans, workforce development, and lab-forward metrics such as biopsy-to-report intervals, IHC turnaround times, proficiency testing, equipment uptime, and stock-out frequency. 

Momentum is growing on the government side. A first group of countries signed the Declaration of Support for the financing platform: Gabon, Guatemala, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Nigeria. 

The high-level meeting featured opening remarks from Karen Saltser, CEO of Bloomberg Media, and remarks from Dr. Elizabeth Mittendorf, President of ASCO, and Dr. Will Ngwa, Chair of the Lancet Commission on Cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Felicia Knaul of UCLA moderated a panel on innovative health financing, including blended models, with Dr. Priya Agrawal of Merck, Joanne Manrique of the Center for Global Health and Development, and Dr. Tolulope Adewole of MedServe. Speakers stressed pairing development funding with technical assistance, so technology transfer delivers measurable results. A second panel featured representatives from health ministries in Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

Uganda’s diaspora pilot, announced at the meeting, offered a concrete test case. The model would channel voluntary remittance top-ups and matched funds into screening, diagnostics, and treatment, with public dashboards for traceability and rules that complement rather than replace government financing. The agenda emphasizes laboratory performance: shorter biopsy-to-report times, fewer stock-outs of pathology consumables, greater diagnostic throughput, and improved equipment reliability. For ASCP members, the takeaway is clear: Earlier diagnosis scales when labs are equipped and measured, and ASCP will bring a practical laboratory lens to help convert new financing into reliable, patient-centered results. 

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