On World Liver Day 2026, UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health and the International Liver Cancer Movement (ILCM) are sharing a Fact Sheet for Parliamentarians on Liver Cancer, developed in response to the priorities and insights raised at a joint session at the International Liver Cancer Association (ILCA) Annual Conference held in November 2025, in Hong Kong.
why this matters
Liver cancer remains one of the fastest-growing causes of cancer deaths globally. It is already the 6th most common cancer worldwide, and is associated with extremely high mortality, causing around 760,000 deaths in 2022 (World Health Organization, 2026). Despite being largely preventable and treatable when detected early, the majority of patients are diagnosed at advanced stages — even though high-risk populations are well defined and effective, affordable diagnostic tools exist.
what was discussed
The ILCA Annual Conference was attended by UNITE’s Chapter Chair for Asia Pacific, Senator Pia Cayetano from the Philippines, Hon. Shin Hyun-Young, UNITE Member from South Korea and Joana Perez, UNITE’s Head of Partnerships. The delegation participated in a session bringing together policymakers, clinicians and patient representatives for a powerful discussion on accelerating progress against liver cancer in the Asian region – currently the most affected in the world.
Participants explored the need for:
- Capacity Building for healthcare providers to better identify and manage high-risk populations.
- Public Awareness and Stigma Reduction, especially around viral hepatitis and lifestyle-related liver disease.
- Financial Protection, including free or subsidized screening within UHC frameworks.
- Stronger Primary Healthcare Systems, ensuring screening reaches rural and underserved communitie
- Policy Accountability, with clear roles, responsibilities, funding, and measurable national targets.
From this discussion the Factsheet for Parliamentarians was developed.
what can parliamentarians do?
The fact sheet calls on parliamentarians to act in three key ways:
- Combat Stigma and Discriminationin healthcare, especially for patients living with liver diseases, ensuring equitable access for all patients.
- Prioritise liver cancer in national cancer strategies
o Enforce Hepatitis B Viruses (HBC) vaccination programs as primary prevention
o Provide equal access to state-of-the-art treatment of liver diseases (viral hepatitis, MASLD/MASH)
o Implement surveillance programmes in risk populations, so patients get diagnosed early, can benefit from treatments and have a chance to survive.
- Implement broader prevention measures
o Taxation of high-sugar foods and alcohol
o Preventive programs for childhood obesity in schools
o Equal access to obesity treatments
what from global dialogue to national impact
This conference demonstrated the power of multidisciplinary and international collaboration in tackling liver cancer. However, it’s political leadership that can translate scientific progress into equitable access and better outcomes for patients worlwide.
