Cancer - It's Everyone's Business
Union for International Cancer Control / Global Cancer Control,
Geneva, Switzerland, 2014, 28 pagesDespite enormous progress in understanding its causes, cancer still affects one in three of us. And even if we don’t suffer from it ourselves, the odds are that we’ll know and love someone who will.And it isn’t just cancer. There is a whole range of other preventable diseases that stop people living the full and active lives they would otherwise have.
Why is taking cancer and other diseases seriously an important priority for businesses? Because diseases like cancer deprive businesses of valuable employees, meaning productivity will be lower, sickness absence higher, and healthcare costs higher still. But there is good news too. Employers have a real role to play in the fight against diseases like cancer. People spend
such a big proportion of their lives at work that workplace health programmes can make a huge
difference, educating employees about the lifestyle changes that will reduce their risk of disease and improve their long term health.The world’s governments have set ambitious targets to reduce the human and economic cost of diseases like cancer, and it is accepted that we will only make a serious impact if we all work together -businesses, communities, governments, NGOs, and individuals.Bupa has significant expertise in promoting health and treating disease, and is using that know-how in workplaces across the world. Bupa wants to learn from others and mobilise a generation of inspirational business leaders to help prevent cancer and other chronic diseases, detecting them early and supporting employees through their treatment. As
part of that, Bupa is working alongside public and private sector employers, and pooling expertise with partners like UICC to maximise impact.The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) brings together a powerful international network of governments, NGOs, academics and healthcare experts, and invaluable experience of working with many different sectors of business. UICC believes that all these groups have a vital role to play in addressing cancer. Cancer organisations can leverage their experience and mobilise their extensive networks, academics can provide a rigorous evidence
base and business can use the power of its direct relationships with millions of employees.We hope the collaboration between our two organisations will help pioneer more partnerships
like this, because what we can achieve together far exceeds anything we can do alone.Promoting health in the workplaceGood health is good businessCombating cancerCancer risks and how they’re changingHow business can help tackle cancerBuilding the business caseDelivering programmes based on what worksEngaging families and carersCreating programmes tailored to employers’ needsMeasuring and reportingIncentives for actionRecommendationsReferences
