The World Health Organisation, WHO, has urged Africa to take urgent measures against the increasing rate of cancer mortality in the continent.
WHO has projected cancer mortality to reach one million deaths annually by year 2030.
The organisation’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti issued the alert in a message to mark World Cancer Day 2024. The theme this year is: “Together, We Challenge Those in Power”.
Moeti described the rate of cancer prevalence in Africa as lamentable.
She called for concerted efforts against the disease through awareness campaigns on fundamental cancer issues.
Moeti expressed the belief that the public has a frontal role to play in spearheading the annual awareness day and beyond.
“Between 2022 and 2024, the focus of World Cancer Day is to help ‘Close the cancer gap’.
“This year marks the third and final year of the campaign.
“This theme encompasses the global demand for leaders to prioritise and invest in cancer prevention and care and to do more to achieve a just and cancer-free world”, she said.
Moeti said WHO regrets the ugly statistics of cancer cases in Africa even as she warned that if proactive measures are not taken, the death toll could rise from more than 500,000 in 2022 to one million per year by 2030.
“In the year 2022, approximately 882,882 new cancer cases occurred in the WHO African Region with 573,653 deaths.
“More than 50 percent of new cancer cases in adults in the region are due to breast, cervical, prostate, colorectal, and liver cancers.
“If urgent measures are not taken, cancer mortality in the region is projected to reach about one million deaths per year by 2030.
“Also, in 20 years, cancer death rate in Africa could overtake the global average of 30 percent”, Moeti said.
She observed that the cancer survival rate in African currently averages 12 percent, much lower than the average of above 80 percent in high-income countries.
The director called on the African governments, communities, partners and civil society to unite and foster universal access to cancer prevention and care.
Moeti acknowledged the progress that has been made in cancer prevention and care, with 17 countries introducing high-performance-based screening tests and 28 member states of WHO implementing nationwide HPV vaccination.
She advised stakeholders to identify feasible priorities, implement evidence-based population-wide interventions, and invest in cancer control.
Moeti further advised African countries to use the updated WHO Best Buys, the facilitative tool designed to enable governments to select lifesaving policies and interventions for non-communicable diseases.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Cancer Society has blamed economic crisis for the worsened cancer incidence in the country.
President of the Society, Dr Adamu Umar in an interview with journalists to mark World Cancer Day, said Naira depreciation and lack of holistic health coverage have increased the cost of care, leading to the death of cancer patients who could no longer afford cost of treatment.
He said many cancer patients could no longer afford their medications, stressing that 8,000 patients in 120,000 new cases have died.
Umar explained that although cancer cases among children increased, it cannot be compared to that of adults, as according to him, there is an indication that cancer cases are rising, but there is an improvement in awareness rate and mechanism employed by advocates.
He equally stated that cancers of the breast, cervix and prostate were the leading cancers in Nigeria.
He attributed late presentation of cancer cases and access to healthcare to low literacy levels, especially among individuals in rural areas, and the misconceptions associated with the disease.
Umar advocated Universal Health Coverage, saying in the National Health Insurance Act cancer is covered but not holistically.
World Cancer Day commemorated on February 4th of every year is an initiative of the Union for International Cancer Control, which is the global cancer governing body. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Close the care gap.”
It is a day set aside to raise awareness and sensitize the public about cancer, World Cancer Day is commemorated on February 4 every year.
