Message from WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi
Cancer is no longer a silent crisis in Africa. It is a growing public health emergency that demands urgent, equitable and sustained action.
On World Cancer Day today, the World Health Organization joins governments, partners and communities across the continent to reaffirm a clear commitment: cancer can be prevented, detected earlier and treated more effectively – and every life saved matters.
In the WHO African Region, cancer is becoming one of the leading causes of premature death. Each year, more than 1 million new cases are diagnosed, and nearly 1 million people lose their lives to the disease. Behind these numbers are mothers, fathers, children and young people whose lives are cut short not because solutions do not exist, but because access to those solutions remains unequal.
Cancer is not only a health issue. It is also a development challenge. It strains families, weakens health systems and undermines economic progress. The burden falls disproportionately on those with the least access to early detection, timely treatment and financial protection.
The past year has demonstrated what is possible when cancer control becomes a national priority. Countries across the Region have expanded HPV vaccination, strengthened cervical cancer screening services, improved access to childhood cancer care, and begun integrating palliative care into routine health services. These are important foundations for long-term survival gains.
Yet, major gaps persist. Delayed diagnosis remains common. Service interruptions disrupt continuity of care. Specialized health workers are in short supply. Access to radiotherapy, pathology and essential cancer medicines remains extremely limited in many settings. For too many families, the cost of care is catastrophic.
Too often, a woman is screened but never treated.
Too often, a child is diagnosed too late.
Too often, families must choose between seeking care and meeting basic needs.
This is not acceptable.
WHO will continue to support African countries through evidence-based global and regional initiatives, including the Global Strategy to Eliminate Cervical Cancer, the Global Breast Cancer Initiative, the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer, the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines, and Women’s Integrated Cancer Services.
But these initiatives will only succeed if they are fully embedded in national health systems, sustainably financed, and translated into concrete services at the primary health care level.
We must invest in what works: HPV vaccination; high-performance screening tests; decentralized treatment of precancerous lesions; strengthened surgical, radiotherapy and pathology capacity; reliable access to essential cancer medicines; and the integration of palliative care from the time of diagnosis.
We must measure progress not by strategies written, but by girls vaccinated, cancers detected early, patients treated timeously, financial hardship reduced, and lives saved.
On this World Cancer Day, I call for decisive action at every level:
Governments must make cancer control a development priority, integrating prevention, early detection, treatment and palliative care into national budgets, universal health coverage reforms and primary health care systems.
Partners and donors must invest in high-impact, integrated and sustainable programmes.
Health workers must continue to lead with skill and compassion, bringing services closer to communities and strengthening trust in care.
People living with cancer and survivors must remain central to national responses, not only as beneficiaries of care, but as advocates and partners in change.
Africa can change the trajectory of cancer. But this will require sustained political will, stronger domestic investment, resilient health systems and an unwavering commitment to equity and accountability.
Let us move from commitments to measurable results, from strategies to services, and ensure that no one in Africa is left behind in the fight against cancer.
Together, we can secure a future where every person has access to prevention, early diagnosis, quality treatment and dignified care.
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