Global pharmaceutical companies are pushing for early cancer detection in Africa, aiming to improve treatment outcomes. The continent faces a high cancer mortality rate, with approximately 89 deaths for every 100,000 cases. The WHO also projects that the number of annual cancer deaths on the continent will double to 1 million if measures are not put in place to prevent this. To prevent this, AstraZeneca, BGI Genomics, and the WHO recently launched significant detection programs. AstraZeneca’s program, launched in May in Kenya, targets screening 1 million people for lung, breast, and prostate cancer, training 10,000 healthcare professionals, and supporting oncology centers. The WHO initiative, launched in January, focuses on early breast and cervical cancer detection in Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. BGI Genomics, a Chinese genomics company, launched its cervical screening program in May, with Rwanda as its first beneficiary.
SOURCE: SEMAFOR
