Our work with the World Health Organization

World Cancer Research Fund is a trusted adviser and partner of the World Health Organization (WHO). We have been in official relations with the WHO since 2016.

We work collaboratively with the WHO to help countries (or Member States) around the world support people to reduce their risk of developing non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cancer. Working with the WHO allows us to influence public health policy at the highest level. We work with different departments at WHO headquarters and regional offices, including the following teams:

NCD and cancer control
Nutrition
Physical activity
Alcohol
Social and commercial determinants of health
Working with Member States

Every year we attend the World Health Assembly and the Executive Board – when the annual governing body of the WHO meets in Geneva – to influence the priorities of Member States. Through our official relations status we contribute to agenda items and meet Member State missions, WHO officials, and other civil society organisations to ensure measures that prevent cancer are taken forward.

In February 2022, the WHO renewed our official relations status and approved our next 3-year collaboration from 2022–24.

Promoting cancer prevention

We make public statements (read all our statements in the Resource library) on issues discussed by Member States – from infant and maternal nutrition to universal health coverage. Statements clarify World Cancer Research Fund’s position on a certain issue and are designed to help shape the outcomes of a particular meeting or strategy, and to urge government representatives to take specific action. We often collaborate with civil society organisations that are also in official relations with the WHO to deliver joint statements, as this gives us even broader support and influence when highlighting key issues.

> Browse all our statements

Providing technical advice

We provide technical advice to the WHO to support their development of new guidance and resources. We have contributed evidence and expertise through consultations (which are when the WHO invites stakeholders to feed back on their plans for a new policy, initiative or directive) on issues including: