Africa has only 3 percent of global cancer treatment facilities ― WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has disclosed that Africa has only 3% of the world’s cancer treatment facilities, with radiotherapy available in just 22 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, which contributes to poor survival rates.

The Nigeria WHO Country Representative, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, In a speech to mark the 2022 International Cancer Week, with the theme, “Bridging the Cancer Care Gap: Improving Diagnosis and Multidisciplinary Management”, revealed that more than 400,000 children diagnosed annually with cancer around the world, and about 90% live in low- and middle-income countries thereby, keeping survival rates at a very low 20% or less in African countries, compared to more than 80% in developed countries.

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Molumbo counted the challenges faced in the region to include limited access to primary prevention and early detection services, lack of awareness and education in addition to delays in diagnosis and treatment as well as limited access to palliative care and pain relief, shortages of specialists in medical and radiation oncology, pathology, medical physics and other essential areas which compound the gaps.

Mulombo, however, emphasised a renewed effort to curb new cancer cases is urgent; as there are alarming projections that cancer death rates in Africa will rise exponentially over the next 20 years, exceeding the global average by 30%.

“WHO took a number of steps to close the care gap by supporting a number of key initiatives in countries including the Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative, the Global Breast Cancer Initiative, the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancers among others.

“In the African region, 45% of countries introduced national HPV vaccination programmes and the WHO is committed to supporting the country implement priority activities towards cancer prevention and control,” he said.