DARMSTADT, Germany, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --
- Cancer deaths in women are expected to increase
to 5.5 million by 2030
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, and the American
Cancer Society (ACS) today released a report that shows all four of the top causes of cancer deaths in women worldwide are mostly
preventable or can often be detected early, when treatment is more successful. The report, titled "The Global Burden of Cancer in
Women," is the first tangible output from an innovative partnership between Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, and the American Cancer Society focused on raising awareness and strengthening advocacy around
women's cancers.
"We are proud to partner with the American Cancer Society to address the impact cancer has on women worldwide," said Belén
Garijo, member of the Executive Board and CEO Healthcare at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.
"This collaboration is a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership that recognizes that no one sector can tackle this
challenge alone. Improving women's health and well-being has an uplifting ripple effect on our world, and we know when women do
better, our communities do better."
The research examines the increasing impact of cancer among women in low- and middle-income countries - and outlines potential
solutions to minimize the economic and societal impact of the disease for women, their families and healthcare systems.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in women, with breast, colorectal, lung and cervical cancers claiming the most
lives each year. With cancer rates on the rise as the global population grows and ages, the number of women who will lose their
lives to cancer is expected to increase, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In 2012, there were 3.5 million deaths
among women due to cancer; by 2030, that number is expected to increase to 5.5 million deaths - a more than 57 percent increase
in less than two decades. Increased education and prevention efforts will be essential to addressing this growing global health
crisis.
"It's incumbent upon both the public and private sectors, as members of the global health community, to find ways to reduce
the impacts of cancer on women by increasing prevention and treatment, saving the lives of women across the globe," said
Ambassador Sally Cowal, senior vice president, global cancer control at the American Cancer
Society.
In addition to the physical challenges women with cancer and their families experience, the burden of cancer also extends to
the economy. The study found that in 2009, the global economic burden of cancer was estimated at about $286 billion, and much of that cost was due to premature death of members of the workforce. In the United States alone in 2008, years of productive life lost due to cancer in women corresponded to
$82 billion, not to mention the many professional achievements that might have been realized.
The report was released at the World Cancer Congress during a panel moderated by Ambassador Cowal. Other participants included
HRH Princess Dina Mired of Jordan; Dr. Alise Reicin, Head of
Global Clinical Development in the biopharma business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany; and Dr.
Edward L. "Ted" Trimble, director, Center for Global Health at the National Cancer Institute.
This partnership will also catalyse the evolution of the American Cancer Society's' All of Me Young Scholars program, which
aims to educate and cultivate health and civil society professionals in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and India to affect
meaningful change in prevention and early detection of cancers among women in low- and middle-income countries.
This report is part of the involvement of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, with the Healthy
Women, Healthy Economies initiative, which explicitly links the issue of women's health and well-being with economic growth. The
full "Global Burden of Cancer in Women" report is available http://www.cancer.org/research/cancerfactsstatistics/global-burden-cancer-in-women.
About the Healthy Women, Healthy Economies Initiative
Merck KGaA, Darrmstadt, Germany, is a founding partner of the Healthy Women, Healthy
Economies initiative, which brings together the evidence about women's health and well-being and its impact on economic growth
with the best practices that governments, employers and non-governmental organizations can follow. It aims to identify and
implement policies that advance women's health and well-being to increase their economic participation in the societies in which
they live.
About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers saving lives and fighting for
every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. As the largest voluntary health organization, the Society's efforts
have contributed to a 20 percent decline in cancer death rates in the U.S. since 1991, and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates.
Thanks in part to our progress, nearly 14 million Americans who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will
celebrate more birthdays this year. We're determined to finish the fight against cancer. We're finding cures as the nation's
largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need and continuing
the fight for access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings, clean air and more. For more information, to get help, or to
join the fight, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org
About the American Cancer Society's All of Me Young Scholars Program
The American Cancer Society's All of Me Young Scholars program aims to educate and cultivate young health and civil society
professionals around the world to bring their energy, voice and new ideas to the new and growing field of integration of women's
cancer prevention and early detection.
About Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
All Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time
they become available on the EMD Group Website. In case you are a resident of the USA or
Canada please go to http://www.emdgroup.com/subscribe to register again for your online subscription of this service as our newly
introduced geo-targeting requires new links in the email. You may later change your selection or discontinue this service.
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is a leading science and technology company in healthcare,
life science and performance materials. Around 50,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance
life - from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and
production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2015, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, generated sales of € 12.85 billion in 66 countries.
Founded in 1668, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and
chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt,
Germany, holds the global rights to the Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and
Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance
Materials.
For further details and press materials about Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, in oncology
products please visit http://www.emdgroup.com/emd/media/media_center_oncology.html
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160629/384917LOGO )
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151019/278051LOGO )
SOURCE Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany