The World Health Organization’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, warned that cancer mortality in the continent could rise to nearly one million deaths per year by 2030 if urgent, bold interventions are not implemented. She noted that Africa records an estimated 1.1 million new cancer cases annually, resulting in about 700 000 deaths. Dr Moeti delivered this message while commemorating World Cancer Day 2023, an international observance held each year on February 4 to raise awareness of cancer and promote its prevention, detection, and treatment. The 2023 theme, “Close the Care Gap: Uniting Our Voices and Taking Action,” underscores the need for coordinated efforts.
The director highlighted the most common adult cancers in Africa: breast (16.5 %), cervical (13.1 %), prostate (9.4 %), colorectal (6 %) and liver (4.6 %), together accounting for nearly half of all new cases. Childhood cancer incidence in sub‑Saharan Africa is estimated at 56.3 per million population, and projections indicate that by 2050 the continent will bear almost 50 % of the global childhood cancer burden. This alarming trend calls for swift action, as exemplified by the response to a young girl from Rwanda.
Dr Moeti reported that twelve African countries now have valid National Cancer Control Plans, and the WHO is assisting eleven additional nations in developing or updating their plans in line with global cancer initiatives and establishing governmental governance structures for implementation. In partnership with the International Agency for Research on Cancer, three collaborating centres have been launched in Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya and South Africa to build local capacity and improve data quality for decision‑making. Countries such as Ghana, Senegal, and Zambia have developed national treatment guidelines for childhood cancer, and twenty‑five nations are using cancer guidelines more broadly. Political commitment is evident, for example, in Ghana and Zambia’s inclusion of childhood cancer medicines in their national health insurance schemes, a step likely to raise survival rates.
Collaboration with Childhood Cancer International is underway to develop and pilot mental health and psychosocial support guidelines for children in Burkina Faso. HPV vaccination has been introduced nationally in 51 % of countries in the region, though coverage remains low at 21 %. Sixteen countries have adopted high‑performance screening tests for cervical cancer in line with WHO recommendations and plan to expand screening. The establishment of gynecologic oncology fellowships in Malawi and Zambia to improve access to cervical cancer treatment is also commendable.
Despite these advances, significant challenges persist. Population‑based cancer registries are scarce, health promotion is limited, and access to primary prevention and early detection services is inadequate. Diagnostic facilities are insufficient, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment. Palliative care remains rare, and Africa possesses only three percent of the world’s cancer treatment facilities, with radiotherapy available in just 22 sub‑Saharan countries, contributing to low survival rates.
Dr Moeti called for unified action at individual and community levels: adopting healthy lifestyles, vaccinating, and undergoing routine screening for preventable cancers. Parents must ensure eligible daughters receive HPV vaccines. She urged governments to develop and update national cancer control plans, secure sustainable financing, and invest in cancer registration. Incorporating cancer care into essential benefit packages and national health insurance systems, expanding infrastructure for human resources, screening, diagnostics and treatment, and leveraging digital health and workforce training are also critical. Finally, she emphasized that cancer survivors should serve as advocates and be involved in designing cancer services at all levels of care.
“Let us unite against cancer and take action to make universal health for cancer prevention, treatment, and care a reality in Africa,” Dr Moeti concluded.
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