No one left behind: ECO responds to EU consultations on equality
Three upcoming European Commission strategies on equality could play a decisive role in advancing health equity: The EU Gender Equality Strategy, the EU Anti-racism Strategy, and EU LGBTIQ Equality Strategy.
Together, it is incumbent upon all of us within Europe’s cancer community to ensure the rights and interests of vulnerable populations in their pursuit of lifesaving care. Therefore, in response to the Commission’s three proposed strategies, and following extensive consultation with our Member Societies, Focused Topic Networks, and Patient Advisory Committee, the European Cancer Organisation (ECO) calls for additional measures to instil more equitable cancer care across Europe, and to enshrine health as a gold standard within the European Commission’s Equality Agenda.
An estimated 12 million European women currently live with cancer and 600,000 lose their lives to the disease each year.
In its submission to the Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030, ECO stresses the urgent need to address health and cancer-related disparities faced by women living with cancer, having survived cancer, caring for someone with cancer, or treating someone with cancer.
For instance, ECO calls for banning flavoured vaping products, expanding access to equitable screening and ensuring fertility preservation. It also urges recognition of the crucial yet undervalued role of women as caregivers and healthcare professionals. Only by acknowledging and tackling these disparities can the EU deliver truly inclusive and equitable healthcare.
According to a survey last year by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, 9% of respondents felt racially discriminated against when using healthcare services in the prior 12 months.
For the EU Anti-racism Strategy, ECO’s response underlines the need to confront racially based inequities across the cancer care continuum. Optimal health and cancer care must be cross-cutting priorities in any anti-racism policy. For instance, ECO recommends improving the collection of ethnicity data in cancer registries, increasing diversity in clinical trials, and embedding equity-focused guidance into EU cancer screening schemes. The organisation also calls for culturally competent healthcare environments and dedicated EU funding for community health partnerships.
In 2022, only 10% of LGBTIQ respondents had undergone a mammogram in the previous year, compared to 36% of the general population. Similarly, just 27% had had a cervical smear test in the past 12 months, in contrast to 36% of the wider population.
ECO’s response to the EU LGBTIQ Equality Strategy highlights the numerous barriers faced by LGBTIQ communities and advocates for systemic changes, including: inclusive screening protocols that account for diverse bodies and identities; targeted awareness campaigns on HPV vaccination and substance use; and mandatory cultural competence training for oncology professionals. It also emphasises the need for stronger research and data collection to guide inclusive cancer care.
ECO recommends that health and cancer care become pillars of upcoming equality policies. Embedding cancer into the EU’s equality framework ensures that all individuals can access life-saving care without discrimination.
ECO thanks all organisations and individuals who contributed or reviewed these responses.
If you would like to get involved in ECO’s Inequalities Network, please contact info@europeancancer.org
