World Cancer Day: WHO says one million Africans may die yearly by 2030

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that data estimates show a considerable increase in cancer mortality to nearly one million deaths per year by 2030 if there are no “urgent and bold interventions”.

WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, disclosed this in a message to commemorate the 2023 World Cancer Day, noting that approximately 1.1 million new cancer cases occur each year in Africa, with about 700,000 deaths.

Ms Moeti noted that “cancer is a public health issue of major concern”, adding that the most common cancers in adults include breast (16.5 per cent), cervical (13.1 per cent), prostate (9.4 per cent), Colorectal (6 per cent), and liver (4.6 per cent) cancers, which contributed to nearly half of the new cancer cases.

With significant data challenges, she added that childhood cancer incidence in sub-Saharan Africa is estimated at 56.3 per million population and that the current projections show that Africa will account for nearly 50 per cent of the global childhood cancer burden by 2050.

World Cancer Day is an international day marked yearly on 4 February to raise awareness of cancer and encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment.

The 2023 theme is “Close the care Gap: Uniting Our Voices and Taking Action.”

Africa’s achievements, responses

The WHO director highlighted major achievements Africa has made at the country level with support of WHO.

She said 12 countries in the region have valid National Cancer Control Plans and that WHO is supporting 11 additional countries in developing or updating their own “aligned to the global cancer initiatives coupled with the presence of governance structures at the government level to implement Cancer Plans”.

“Countries such as Ghana, Senegal and Zambia have developed National Treatment Guidelines for childhood cancer while 12 countries have developed and are using cancer guidelines. Political will remains significant in improving the cancer landscape.

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“Including childhood cancer medicines in the National Health Insurance Scheme in Ghana and Zambia is a good example. Such a strategic action will significantly contribute to the increase in survival rates for children with cancer in these countries,” she said.

Ms Moeti added that WHO Africa is collaborating with Childhood Cancer International to develop and pilot the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support guidelines for children in Burkina Faso.

“It is gratifying to note the steady increase of HPV vaccination national introduction by 51 per cent of countries in the region, although coverage remains concerning at 21 per cent. Currently, 16 countries have introduced high-performance-based screening tests in line with WHO recommendations and plan to scale up cervical cancer screening,” she added.

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Challenges

Ms Moeti commended the introduction of gynecologic oncology fellowships in Malawi and Zambia for improved access to cervical cancer treatment services.

She added that in collaboration with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in cancer registration, WHO launched three collaborating centres in Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, and South Africa that will facilitate capacity building for local staff and improve data quality for effective decision-making.

Despite these achievements, Ms Moeti said that there are “stumbling blocks that remain on our path”, noting that Africa has only 3 per cent of the world’s cancer treatment facilities, with radiotherapy available in just 22 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, contributing to very low survival rates.

She said the challenges include the low availability of Population-Based Cancer Registries; limited health promotion, inadequate access to primary prevention and early detection services; the scarcity of diagnostic facilities that increase delays in diagnosis and treatment.

Action

Ms Moeti added that by uniting voices and action, cancer can be addressed at individual and community levels by choosing healthy lifestyles, getting vaccinated, and getting routinely screened against preventable cancers.

“I call on Governments to develop/update national cancer control plans, provide sustainable financing and invest in cancer registration. I encourage Governments to incorporate cancer care into essential benefits packages and national health insurance systems.

“It is also critical to ensure adequate infrastructure for human resources, screening, diagnostics, and treatment. There is equally a need to expand the use of digital health and establish relevant training for the cancer workforce.

“Finally, cancer survivors can lend their voices as advocates for better cancer services. As persons with lived experience, they should be involved in designing cancer services at all levels of health care,” she said.