According to the World Health Organisation, 3.7 million Europeans are diagnosed with cancer every year and 1.9 million die from it. Based on the estimations presented in the Roadmap on Carcinogens, exposure to cancer-causing chemicals in the workplace accounts for 120 000 of the cancer diagnoses and 80 000 of the deaths.

With preventive actions, over 40 % of all cancer cases could be avoided. In February 2020, the European Commission launched the Roadmap towards the EU Beating Cancer Plan that will introduce actions to prevent, detect and treat cancer in the EU while reducing health inequalities between and within Member States.

Prevention is the cornerstone of the plan. So, ECHA is supporting the initiative and will contribute to its goals by protecting citizens and workers by speeding up the risk management of chemicals that have the potential to cause cancer.
 

Want to learn more? Visit the website of the European Chemicals Agency