IN a recently published report, WHO has warned that the lack of investment in the prevention and care of cancer will increase the risk of disease by as much as 81pc in middle- and low-income countries by 2040. The countries in this category have limited resources to spend on battling infectious diseases and improving maternal and child health. They have even more limited systems in place for effective treatment and management of cancer patients. The WHO report was released to coincide with World Cancer Day observed across the globe on Feb 4 every year. The report attempts to highlight the global inequalities of the cancer burden. On the one hand, where the cancer risk was increasing manifold in poorer countries, better treatment facilities in richer countries resulted in a 20pc drop in cancer mortality rates between 2000 and 2015. However, the reduction in cancer mortality rates in middle- and lower-income countries was just 5pc. The report warned that the incidence of cancer across the world would increase by around 60pc worldwide, with the majority of cases being reported from poorer countries.