Phnom Penh, Cambodia– More than 40 local and international health experts gathered for a two-day workshop to implement the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Breast Cancer Initiative (GBCI) Framework. Organised under the City Cancer Challenge (C/Can) – WHO partnership, the workshop aimed to co-create a Breast Cancer Action Plan (BCAP) tailored to the needs of Phnom Penh, with the potential to scale nationally. The workshop brought together stakeholders from the Ministry of Health, WHO, C/Can, partner organisations, and local cancer professionals to strengthen local action for breast cancer care.
Why It Matters
Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) account for 64% of all deaths in Cambodia, with cancer alone responsible for more than 12,600 deaths in 2020, and nearly 20,000 new cases and nearly 14,000 deaths in 2022. Phnom Penh, home to 1.5 million people, faces a high cancer burden, mortality and significant barriers to care, including limited infrastructure, workforce shortages, and fragmented care pathways.
Breast cancer, the most diagnosed cancer globally, represents almost 12% of all cancer cases worldwide. The WHO GBCI, launched in 2021, aims to reduce global breast cancer mortality by 2.5% annually, potentially saving the lives of an estimated 2.5 million women over the next 20 years. It supports governments, policymakers, programme managers, clinical champions, and multisectoral stakeholders through three operational pillars: health promotion for early detection, timely diagnosis and comprehensive management of breast cancer.
As part of this effort, C/Can is working hand in hand with local experts, health institutions and communities to co-create sustainable solutions that strengthen the city’s capacity to deliver timely, high-quality, and equitable breast cancer care. This collaboration reflects CCan’s mission to empower cities to lead change from the ground up, ensuring that progress in cancer care is locally owned and globally informed.
A City-Led Response with Global Backing
Phnom Penh joined C/Can’s network of cities in 2022. Since then, the city has worked with the Ministry of Health, C/Can and other partners to address systemic gaps in cancer care. It was selected as the fourth city, and the first one in Asia, under the C/Can-WHO partnership to host the GBCI Implementation Workshop, aimed at improving breast cancer care services. Opening the workshop, H.E. Dr. Ngov Kang, Secretary of State and Chair of the City Cancer Challenge Coordinating Group (CCCG), highlighted the collaborative nature and ambitious objectives of the project.
This workshop will allow us to develop a comprehensive Breast Cancer Action Plan for Phnom Penh, aligned with the Global Breast Cancer Initiative pillars, from early detection and prompt diagnosis to treatment completion, with clear indicators to track progress.
H.E. Dr. Ngov Kang further emphasised that the Breast Cancer Action Plan is not only for Phnom Penh:
We are building a model that can be scaled to the national level, with the support of the Ministry of Health and the WHO Regional Office. Our ultimate goal is to create a collaborative platform for local professionals that ensures the sustainable implementation of the Global Breast Cancer Initiative in Cambodia.
Building the Breast Cancer Action Plan
Over two days, participants worked together to lay the foundations of a Breast Cancer Action Plan for Phnom Penh, designed to strengthen services across the continuum of care. Breakout sessions brought together cancer care specialists, patient advocacy and NGOs and health authorities to identify both opportunities and barriers in breast cancer care.
One session focused specifically on clinical services and quality improvement. Participants applied the WHO Health System Building Blocks and the Root-Cause Analysis (RCA) Fish-bone method to explore gaps in service delivery for early detection and diagnosis (Pillars 1 and 2), as well as comprehensive treatment and cancer management (Pillar 3). These structured exercises helped shape a clare, evidence-based roadmap tailored to the city’s needs.
Cancer is a major public health problem. This workshop serves as a platform for collaboration, learning from each other, and translating the Global Breast Cancer Initiative Framework into practical, actionable commitments. Our goal is to identify opportunities and barriers and to define steps toward a locally led breast cancer action plan for this city and eventually for the country.
Dr. Alfredo Polo, C/Can’s Director of Technical Cooperation and Capacity Development.
From Workshop to Driving Systemic Change
The workshop concluded with a strong sense of shared purpose. Participants agreed on a set of immediate priorities for action, grounded in the city’s realities and informed by international best practices.
This workshop gave us the opportunity to develop an action plan based on key findings collaboratively. Together, we were able to prioritise implementation actions and apply quality frameworks such as Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to ensure the plan is robust and sustainable.
Dr. Ir Por, Deputy Director from the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) of the Ministry of Health (MOH).
The twelve projects under C/Can’s initiative in Phnom Penh will be implemented according to their schedules. Our next steps include developing the Breast Cancer Action Plan for Phnom Penh and compiling a GBCI Implementation report. Additionally, we are preparing to host a Multidisciplinary Cancer Management Course in November 2025.
H.E. Dr. Ngov Kang, Secretary of State and Chair of the City Cancer Challenge Coordinating Group (CCCG).
By translating global frameworks into local action, Phnom Penh is setting a precedent for how cities can lead the way in tackling breast cancer and strengthening cancer care systems across Cambodia.
