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Background: Melanoma of the skin is the most dangerous skin cancer in the world, though the numbers of reported new cases and melanoma-related deaths are low. Objective: This study evaluated the global incidence, mortality, risk factors and temporal trends by age, sex and locations of melanoma skin cancer. Patients and Methods: Cancer Incidence in Five Continents (CI5) volumes I–XI; the Nordic Cancer Registries (NORDCAN); the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program; and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) mortality database were accessed for worldwide incidence and mortality rates. Average Annual Percentage Change (AAPC) was calculated using a Joinpoint regression to examine trends. Results: Age-standardized rates of cancer incidence and mortality were 3.4 and 0.55 per 100,000 worldwide in 2020. Australia and New Zealand reported the highest incidence and mortality rates. Associated risk factors included higher prevalence of smoking, alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet, obesity and metabolic diseases. Increasing incidence trends were observed mostly in European countries, whilst mortality displayed an overall decreasing trend. For both sexes in the age group 50 years and above, a significant increase in incidence trend was observed. Conclusions: Although mortality rates and trends were found to decrease, global incidence has increased, especially in older age groups and males. Whilst incidence increase may be attributed to improved healthcare infrastructure and cancer detection methods, the growing prevalence of lifestyle and metabolic risk factors in developed countries should not be discounted. Future research should explore underlying variables behind epidemiological trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Ovarian cancer was the third most common gynecological cancer globally in 2020. Ovarian carcinoma is the most common type of ovarian cancer, comprising over 90% of all ovarian cancer cases. The risk of ovarian cancer increases in females with age, along with having a family history, having a family cancer syndrome, and breast cancer susceptibility gene (BRCA) mutations. Investigation of the latest disease burden, risk factors, and temporal trends of ovarian cancer is important for the reduction of its associated mortality globally. The global incidence and mortality rates of ovarian cancer for 185 countries in 2020 were retrieved from the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) database established by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC, WHO, Lyon, France). The incidence of ovarian cancer has been increasing substantially among younger females, probably caused by the increasing prevalence of obesity, metabolic syndrome, estrogen exposure and nulliparity. This study aimed to investigate the most updated worldwide incidence and mortality, risk factors, and epidemiologic trend of ovarian cancer in different countries, regions, and age groups. The Global Cancer Observatory database was used for incidence and mortality rates of ovarian cancer in 2020. Data from Cancer Incidence in Five Continents and the WHO mortality database was accessed for trend analysis. Age-standardized rates (ASRs, per 100,000 persons) were calculated for incidence and mortality. The 10-year annual average percent change (AAPC) was estimated by Joinpoint regression analysis. There was an overall decreasing trend of ovarian cancer, yet its burden has been increasing in lower-income countries and among younger females in some countries. Intensive lifestyle modifications are warranted, especially for the populations at high risk for ovarian cancer, including smoking cessation, alcohol use reduction, physical activity, weight control, and treatment of metabolic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lung cancer ranks second for cancer incidence and first for cancer mortality. Investigation into its risk factors and epidemiologic trends could help describe geographical distribution and identify high-risk population groups.Research Question: What is the global incidence, mortality, associated risk factors, and temporal trends of lung cancer by sex, age, and country?Study Design and Methods: Data on incidence and mortality were retrieved from the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN), Cancer Incidence in Five Continents series I-X, World Health Organization (WHO) mortality database, the Nordic Cancer Registries (NORDCAN), and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER). We searched the WHO Global Health Observatory data repository for age-adjusted prevalence of current smoking. The Average Annual Percentage Change (AAPC) of the trends were obtained by Joinpoint Regression.Results: The age-standardized rate of incidence and mortality were 22.4 and 18.0 per 100,000 globally. The lung cancer incidence and mortality were associated with Human Development Index (HDI), Gross Domestic Products (GDP), and prevalence of smoking. For incidence, more countries had increasing trends in females but decreasing trends in males (AAPC, 1.06 to 6.43 for female; -3.53 to -0.64 for male). A similar pattern was found in those 50 years or older, whereas those aged younger than 50 years had declining incidence trends in both sexes in most countries. For mortality, similar to incidence, 17 of 48 countries showed decreasing trends in males and increasing trends in females (AAPC, -3.28 to -1.32 for male, 0.63 to 3.96 for female).Interpretation: Most countries had increasing trends in females but decreasing trends in males and in lung cancer incidence and mortality. Tobacco related measures and early cancer detection should be implemented to control the increasing trends of lung cancer in females, and in regions identified as having these trends. Future studies may explore the reasons behind these epidemiological transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is characterized by much diversity in terms of geography, society, economic development, and health outcomes. The health systems as well as healthcare structure and provisions vary considerably. Consequently, the progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in these countries also varies. This paper aims to describe the progress toward UHC in the ASEAN countries and discuss how regional integration could influence UHC. Design: Data reported in this paper were obtained from published literature, reports, and gray literature available in the ASEAN countries. We used both online and manual search methods to gather the information and 'snowball' further data. Results: We found that, in general, ASEAN countries have made good progress toward UHC, partly due to relatively sustained political commitments to endorse UHC in these countries. However, all the countries in ASEAN are facing several common barriers to achieving UHC, namely 1) financial constraints, including low levels of overall and government spending on health; 2) supply side constraints, including inadequate numbers and densities of health workers; and 3) the ongoing epidemiological transition at different stages characterized by increasing burdens of non-communicable diseases, persisting infectious diseases, and reemergence of potentially pandemic infectious diseases. The ASEAN Economic Community's (AEC) goal of regional economic integration and a single market by 2015 presents both opportunities and challenges for UHC. Healthcare services have become more available but health and healthcare inequities will likely worsen as better-off citizens of member states might receive more benefits from the liberalization of trade policy in health, either via regional outmigration of health workers or intra-country health worker movement toward private hospitals, which tend to be located in urban areas. For ASEAN countries, UHC should be explicitly considered to mitigate deleterious effects of economic integration. Political commitments to safeguard health budgets and increase health spending will be necessary given liberalization's risks to health equity as well as migration and population aging which will increase demand on health systems. There is potential to organize select health services regionally to improve further efficiency. Conclusions: We believe that ASEAN has significant potential to become a force for better health in the region. We hope that all ASEAN citizens can enjoy higher health and safety standards, comprehensive social protection, and improved health status. We believe economic and other integration efforts can further these aspirations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The goal of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is to ensure that everyone is able to obtain the health services they need without suffering financial hardship. UHC remains a mirage if government health expenditure is not improved. Health priority refers to general government health expenditure as a percentage of general government expenditure. It indicates the priority of the government to spend on healthcare from its domestic public resources. Our study aimed to assess health priorities in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) using the health priority index from the WHO's Global Health Expenditure Database. Method: We extracted and analysed data on health priority in the WHO's Global Health Expenditure Database across the 15 members of the ECOWAS (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo) from 2010 to 2018 to assess how these countries prioritize health. The data are presented using descriptive statistics. Results: Our findings revealed that no West African country beats the cutoff of a minimum of 15% health priority index. Ghana (8.43%), Carbo Verde (8.29%), and Burkina Faso (7.60%) were the top three countries with the highest average health priority index, while Guinea (3.05%), Liberia (3.46%), and Guinea-Bissau (3.56%) had the lowest average health priority in the West African region within the period of our analysis (2010 to 2018). Conclusion: Our study reiterates the need for West African governments and other relevant stakeholders to prioritize health in their political agenda towards achieving UHC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]