For every ten women diagnosed with breast cancer, five don’t survive and Africa hosts the highest cases according to the Africa Breast Cancer Council that advances breast cancer care on the continent.
“Too many women are diagnosed too late. Five out of ten women diagnosed with breast cancer will not survive,” Soraya Mellali, Chair at Africa Breast Cancer Council told delegates at the Africa Health Agenda International Conference (AHAIC) held on March 2nd- 5th.
Meanwhile, breast cancer strikes African women at a younger age – the majority are under 50.
Soraya called for collaboration and knowledge sharing among countries emphasising that real change in breast cancer care can only come through collective effort.
Rwanda the host of the AHAIC conference presented the country’s breast cancer situation which is still the leading cause of mortality in Rwanda.
Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, the Minister of Health revealed that every year about 700 people are diagnosed with cancer of which 14% have breast cancer.
As part of access to timely diagnosis and treatment, the Rwandan government has approved cancer treatment to be covered by the famous community health insurance commonly known as Mutuelle de Santé.
Rwanda government’s ambitious approach is to come up with multiple sources of funding to finance the expanded coverage.
For example contributions will come from the banking industry, telecommunications companies, and fines collected from traffic violations to enhance financing of the initiative.
The conference attracted several delegates including; economists, healthcare professionals, oncologists, first ladies, and former ministers. Key speakers shared their experiences and insights.
“Most African women with breast cancer are diagnosed too late and, even after a diagnosis, many do not receive the treatment they need. This egregious injustice is utterly preventable,” said Dr Magda Robalo, Council member and President and Co-founder of the Institute for Global Health and Development.
Dr. Miriam Mutebi, a breast cancer surgeon and President of the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC) urged policymakers to view cancer funding not as an expense but as an investment in lives and productivity.
According to her, governments should consider making essential treatments universally accessible rather than solely investing in expensive new drugs.
Dr. Nsanzimana told participants not to lose hope explaining, “breast cancer can be detected early through self-examination, making it one of the most manageable cancers when addressed promptly.”
“We must teach our communities that cancer is a medical condition that requires awareness, not fear. It is our collective responsibility to change this legacy,” said Dr. Nsanzimana.
Global efforts
To tackle the burden of breast cancer on women across Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched its Global Breast Cancer Initiative in 2021. The initiative is built on three pillars for addressing breast cancer and sets regional targets to achieve by 2040.
Early detection: increase the proportion of breast cancers detected at early stages (I & II) from 30% to 60%.
Accelerated diagnosis: reduce the average time from symptom recognition to treatment from 183 days to 60 days.
Improved treatment outcomes: improve survival rates so 8 out of 10 African women diagnosed with breast cancer survive, compared to the current rate of 5 out of 10 women.
Meanwhile, the Africa Breast Cancer Council, supported by Roche, works to develop and advocate for actionable, scalable policies that improve outcomes for women facing breast cancer.
By connecting with and convening leaders, policymakers, and experts, the Council focuses on supporting government efforts to make breast cancer a national health priority and works to support stakeholders’ collaboration and alignment.
By working towards the WHO’s targets, the Council can drive meaningful, coordinated policy change that aligns with existing regional goals.
