Advancing Health Equity in Cancer Care in the Asia Pacific and Middle East

Cancer cases worldwide are projected to reach 30 million annually by 2050, with the Asia Pacific and Middle East facing significant and growing disease burdens. Despite advances in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, access to cancer care remains uneven. Where people live, what they can afford, and how well health services are connected can determine whether they receive timely and appropriate care.  

Across both regions, governments, health systems, and community organizations are finding ways to close these gaps. Their efforts demonstrate how care can be brought closer to underserved populations and how improved coordination across the cancer care continuum can help them access the services they need.  

In this report, the Milken Institute examines 150 cancer care programs across 33 countries and territories to understand the conditions that support their implementation. The report distills six lessons from the landscape and presents a practical framework to help policymakers identify priorities and target investments, health systems strengthen service delivery and care coordination, and community organizations design programs responsive to local needs. Together, these resources offer a path from identifying specific gaps in equity to developing targeted, locally appropriate solutions that improve access and continuity of care.